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GIFT  OF 

J  .  J.Cudv/orth 


(J.   W.    HINCKLEV 


THE 

STORY 

OF 

GOOD 

WILL 

FARM 


C.  W.  HINCKLEY 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

When  it  began.  Three  women.  A  petty  theft. 
Boyhood's  dream.  Disappointment.  Fighting 
against  God.  Surrender. 

CHAPTER  II. 

A  school  debt.  A  definite  promise  to  begin  work. 
The  beginning  of  the  boys'  fund.  A  search  for  lo- 
cation. Strange  sickness.  The  farm  purchased. 

CHAPTER  III. 

Philanthropy.  First  meeting  with  Mr.  George 
Henry  Quincy.  Work  on  Good  Will  Cottage. 
Jamaica  Ginger  hinders.  The  fresh  air  children. 
Their  first  night  in  the  country.  The  boys  argue 
and  win  the  day. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Good  Will  Home  Association  organized.  Hon. 
Moses  Giddings  becomes  president.  By-laws  of 
the  Association. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Mr.  Quincy  a  strong  helper.  Sunshine  Cottage  dedi- 
cated. Golden  Rule  Cottage.  Prospect  Cottage. 
First  meeting  with  Mr.  C.  M.  Bailey.  Bailey  Cot- 
tage. Mr.  H.  H.  Fogg's  gift.  Fogg  Cottage  dedi- 
cated. 


615239 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Commercial  travellers  have  a  project;  it  fails. 
Knights  of  the  Round  Table  begin  work.  The 
fair  at  Sherry's.  The  Authors'  Reception.  Queen 
Wilhelmina.  Another  failure.  The  Harper  Li- 
brary. The  Tablet. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Christian  Endeavorers  propose  a  cottage.  The  plan 
succeeds.  C.  E.  Cottage  dedicated.  Sunshine 
Cottage  and  Record  Hall  burned. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

The  letter  in  the  Christian  Union.  My  first  trip  to 
Stamford,  Conn.  First  meeting  with  Mr.  Walter 
M.  Smith.  Seventy-five  pairs  of  blankets.  The 
story  is  told  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  Second 
visit  to  Stamford.  Mr.  Thomas  W.  Hall  gives  a 
cottage.  "Tom's  dress  suit."  Mary  Louisa  Hall 
Cottage  dedicated. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Crowded  school  in  Prospect  Cottage.  A  letter  from 
Miss  Mary  D.  Moody.  A  trin  to  Bath.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Charles  E.  Moody.  The  Misses 
Moody  provide  a  school  building.  Death  of  Miss 
Mary  D.  Moody.  The  building  dedicated. 

CHAPTER  X. 

A  definite  plan.  Shall  girls  be  helped?  $10,000 
wanted.  Two  nickels.  Criticism.  The  purchase 
of  more  land.  The  Volunteer  Good  Will  Club. 
Hon.  E.  S.  Converse  visits  Good  Will.  His  gift. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  M.  Smith  give  a  cottage  for 
girls.  Elizabeth  Wilcox  Smith  Cottage  dedicated. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Miss  Mary  D.  Moody's  will.  Miss  Frances  S. 
Moody  gives  a  chapel.  The  chapel  dedicated. 
Dedicatory  hymn. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Grange  Cottage  for  girls  is  proposed.  The  plan  suc- 
ceeds. Grange  Cottage  dedicated.  The  "white 
house"  for  school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  N.  Ryerson 
give  a  building  for  girls.  The  Emily  F.  Ryerson 
Building  dedicated. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Manual  Training  needed.  Possible  sites  for  a  build- 
ing. Unsuccessful  attempts  to  secure  it.  A  new 
plan  proposed,  and  $10.000  pledged.  A  Welcome 
telegram.  Ground  broken  for  Manual  Training 
Building.  The  laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  of  the 
"Quincy."  The  dedication  of  the  "Buckminster." 
The  dedication  of  the  "Quincy." 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

An  address  in  New  Haven,  Conn.  My  first  meeting 
with  Mr.  Edwin  Bancroft-Foote.  A  visit  to 
Rangeley,  Me.  An  interesting  letter.  A  $50.000 
gift.  The  Bancroft-Foote  House  dedicated. 

CHAPTER    XV. 

A  disaster  at  Good  Will.     The   Charles   E.   Moody 

Building  destroyed.     The    Sunday    following    the 

fire.     A  new      Library     founded.     Letters      that 
cheered. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Another  fire.  The  Carnegie  Library.  The  Willie 
Sage  Tuttle  book  fund.  Moody  Hall  rebuilt. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A  growing  debt.  Another  generous  gift.  Breaking 
ground  for  the  Whitney  Home;  the  home  dedi- 
cated. Addresses.  David  Whitney.  The  raising 
of  Good  Will's  debt  of  $30,000.  The  Calista  S. 
Mayhew  Lectureship  Fund. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Things    deserving  mention. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Good  Will  Record. 

CHAPTER  XX. 

What  Good  Will  stands  for.  Home  Life;  Industry; 
Discipline;  Religious  training. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Three  things  of  worthy  mention.  Financial  need. 
Endowment.  Possible  Enlargement. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

What  boys  are  received  at  Good  Will.  How  to 
proceed.  Terms  of  admission. 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Camping  out  with  boys.  The  first  Assembly. 
Progress. 


PREFACE. 

The  following  pages  are  a  simple  story  of 
small  beginnings.  The  book  is  a  recital  of  the 
leading  facts  in  a  history  which  will  be  of 
increasing  interest  as  Good  Will  grows.  If 
while  furnishing  this  account  of  the  beginning 
of  a  benevolent  and  educational  institution  the 
little  volume  proves  to  be  a  testimony  to  the  value 
of  one  of  a  multitude  of  scriptural  texts,  (Psalms 
37:5)  I  shall  be  satisfied. 

G.   W.   HINCKLEY. 
HINCKLEY,  MAINE,  November,  1902. 


PREFACE   TO   THIRD   EDITION. 

The  third  edition  brings  the  Story  of  Good 
Will  up  to  the  time  of  going  to  press,  December 
i,  1909.  The  illustrations  have  been  changed; 
but  historical  facts  are  unchangeable  and  the 
first  fourteen  chapters  are  the  same  as  in  the 
second  edition. 

G.   W.   HINCKLEY. 

HINCKUX   MAINS,   December   i,   1909. 


CHAPTER  I. 

I  do  not  know  when  the  work  at  Good  Will 
Farm  began.  Possibly  it  was  when  I  was  four- 
teen years  old,  and  listened  to  the  Divine  call, 
"Follow  me ;"  possibly  when  I  was  three  months 
old  and  mother  consecrated  me  to  the  service  of 
her  Lord;  possibly  long  before  that  time.  If  I 
understand  the  situation,  when  the  final  account 
is  rendered  and  the  real  value  of  Good  Will 
Farm  is  revealed,  the  world  will  owe  its  debt  of 
gratitude,  not  to  myself  but  to  three  women — 
a  mother  who  consecrated  me  to  God's  service; 
a  wife  who  kept  house  and  home  for  me,  while 
I  was  trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  more  homes 
for  the  homeless ;  a  sister  who  stood  by  me  with 
rare  devotion  in  the  days  of  little  things — the  first 
decade  of  Good  Will's  history. 

Scores  of  times  I  have  given  an  account  of  the 
beginning  of  the  work,  each  time  hoping  to  make 
it  clear  to  the  audience  that  it  is  of  God's  own 
planting  and  just  as  many  times  I  have  had  rea- 


son  to  fear  at  the  close  that  I  have  given  a  wrong 
impression  and  appeared  to  take  credit  to  myself. 
This  is  because  I  always  use  the  personal  pro- 
noun "I."  As  a  matter  of  fact,  at  one  period  in 
life  for  a  few  years  I  tried  to  get  away  from  the 
conviction  that  these  homes  must  be  established 
and  that  the  peculiar  work  for  which  Good  Will 
stands  must  be  done. 

In  early  life  I  thirsted  for  an  education,  which 
I  could  not  secure.  When  a  small  boy,  one  of 
my  schoolmates,  the  only  son  of  his  widowed 
mother,  was  sentenced  to  the  State  Reform 
School.  The  specific  crime  with  which  he  was 
charged  was  stealing  food  from  a  working  man's 
dinner  pail.  He  was  not  a  vicious  boy.  He  was 
hungry.  For  three  days  in  succession  he  had 
been  dinnerless.  Over  his  arrest  I  was  sorrow- 
ful and  indignant.  As  I  was  only  a  boy,  I  could 
not  understand  why  people  did  not  take  an 
interest  in  the  lad  before  he  put  his  hand 
into  that  dinner  pail,  instead  of  waiting  until 
hunger  had  driven  him  to  petty  crime.  It 
was  then  that  I  began  to  fancy  I  would  some- 
time become  a  man.  If  I  became  a  man  I  would 
build  a  house;  I  would  build  houses,  and  if  I 


10 


knew  nf  a  hoy  in  peril  as  that  one  had  been,  I 
would  extend  a  helping  hand. 

A  few  years  later  there  came  to  my  native 
town  a  boy.  only  a  few  years  younger  than 
If,  but  one  who,  to  me,  was  interesting 
beyond  any  youth  I  had  ever  known — interesting 
because  I  understood  that  he  was  fatherless  and 
motherless.  I  did  not  know  in  those  days  that 
there  was  anything  sadder  for  a  child  than  that 
he  be  without  father  or  mother.  Since  then  I 
have  learned  otherwise.  The  tenderest,  strongest 
kind  of  friendship  sprang  up  between  that  boy 
and  myself;  and  through  it  the  determination 
to  devote  my  life  to  the  needy  and  imperilled 
was  strengthened.1 

My  failure  to  secure  a  four-years'  course  and 
graduation  from  Yale  College;  my  inability  to 
graduate  from  the  Yale  Theological  Seminary 
came  near  embittering  my  life.  That  which  is 
worth  doing  is  worth  doing  well ;  and  I  believed 
that  college  and  theological  courses  were  essen- 
tial to  the  best  work,  as  I  was  planning  it.  A 
year  in  a  State  Normal  school  I  regarded  as  such 
a  poor  substitute  for  seven  years  in  college  and 
seminary,  that  I  "kicked  in  the  traces"  and  pro- 

1.    See  "Ben,"  in  "Some  Boys  I  Know." 
II 


posed  to  have  nothing  toi  do  with  either  preaching 
or  philanthropy. 

It  seemed  strange  that  the  school  which  I  was 
to  teach  after  leaving  the  normal  course  should 
have  in  it  so  much  to  appeal  to  me  and  to  keep 
before  my  vision  the  dream  and  hope  of  my  boy- 
hood. Although  the  school  was  the  ordinary 
"District  School"  two  terms  of  the  year,  two  out 
of  every  three  of  the  older  boys — the  boys  in  my 
own  department — were  fatherless.  Though  they 
had  homes  they  needed  counsel;  the  fatherless 
were  always  with  me.  I  was  not  permitted  to 
forget  that  in  the  world  are  the  fatherless  and 
the  orphan.  I  could  not  stand  the  pressure. 
For  three  years  I  had  been  teaching  that  school, 
in  Kingston,  R.  I.  I  had  studied  college  cata- 
logues, and  seminary  catalogues,  for  anything 
that  would  throw  light  upon  the  problem  of  my 
own  equipment  for  this  work.  Then  I  rebelled. 
I  would  not  preach,  or  teach  or  think  always  of 
the  fellow  less  fortunate  than  myself.  I  said  I 
had  a  right  to  do  as  others  did — a  right  to  make 
money  and  take  pleasure.  I  gave  up  teaching. 

A  position  was  offered  me  as  first  clerk  in  a 
general  supply  store.  This  I  accepted ;  drew  my 
salary  and  spent  it ;  was  like  one  who  is  dazed. 

12 


I  avoided  religious  services  on  Sunday  and 
shunned  religious  people  on  week  days.  I  knew 
the  best  friends  I  had  in  the  world  were  grieved, 
and  so  was  I ;  but  no  one  knew  it,  save  He  who 
knows  the  secrets  of  the  heart.  I  had  been 
reared  an  anti-tobacconist,  and  narrowly  escaped 
a  mutiny  in  school  once  by  my  attack  upon  cer- 
tain "users  of  the  weed."  I  took  to  cigars  and 
the  pipe  readily,  because  I  was  told  there  was 
"lots  of  comfort"  in  them.  It  took  a  good  share 
of  my  salary  to  pay  my  bills  at  the  livery  stable. 
I  needed  to  set  a  watch  upon  my  lips.  I  was 
ready  to  say  "All  men  are  liars"  and  to  include 
myself  in  the  "all." 

Spinning  along  Westminster  street,  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  one  bright  day,  behind  the  finest 
team  an  acquaintance  could  get  in  the  city,  he 
turned  to  me  and  said :  "How  do  you  like  it  ?" 

"This  is  great,"  I  replied.  "All  I  ask  for  solid 
enjoyment  is  a  friend  like  you,  a  good  cigar  and 
a  fast  horse."  I  suspect  the  man  believed  it; 
but  I  was  as  far  from  enjoyment  that  afternoon 
as  midnight  is  far  from  noonday.  I  had  no  rea- 
son for  calling  that  man  friend,  for  there  was  no 
basis  for  friendship  between  us ;  I  had  no  love 
for  the  cigar  held  between  my  teeth;  I  hated 

13 


horse  flesh.  Fellows  told  me  that  there  was  fun 
at  the  races.  I  had  spent  three  afternoons  in 
succession  on  the  grandstand  watching  proceed- 
ings with  the  same  interest  and  enthusiasm  that 
one  has  for  a  freight  train  passing,  or  a  man 
trundling  a  wheelbarrow,  and  tried  to  believe  I 
was  having  a  good  time.  It  was  what  boys 
would  call  bluff — a  great  bluff.  Life  was 
losing  its  meaning;  heart  was  becoming  void  of 
hope;  there  was  only  darkness  before  me.  A 
few  days  later  I  surrendered.  Then  I  was  ready 
to  preach,  to  pray,  to  make  any  sacrifice  which 
might  be  suggested.  The  effort  I  had  made  to 
supplant  the  cherished  plan  of  my  earlier  life 
with  a  career  of  selfishness  had  failed  and  I  was 
glad. 

This  surrender  was  followed  by  my  first  ser- 
mon; call  to  a  pastorate  in  West  Hartford, 
Conn.,  and  two  years  later  to  a  pastorate  in  the 
town  of  Windsor,  Conn.  Then  came  my  jour- 
ney to  Maine  to  engage  in  Sunday  School  mis- 
sionary work.  I  believed  that  each  of  these 
changes  was  a  step  toward  the  realizing  of  my 
hope,  and  the  accomplishment  of  the  definite 
plan  for  the  needy  and  imperilled.  I  made  my 
home  in  Bangor. 


MOSKS  GIDDINGS. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   BEGINNING. 

A  debt  of  several  hundred  dollars  had  been 
incurred  in  my  short  course  at  the  Normal  School 
— a  debt  which  had  increased  considerably  by 
accruing  interest  during  the  ye^ars  of  my  rebel- 
lion. Who  goes  warring  against  his  Creator 
must  go  at  his  own  charges;  fighting  against 
God  costs.  The  years  of  pastoral  work  had 
presented  various  obligations,  and  little  progress 
had  been  made  in  reducing  the  school  debt. 

I  promised  God  that  if  I  ever  could  pay  the  last 
dollar  of  my  own  educational  debt,  I  would  make 
a  definite  effort  toward  the  establishing  of  homes 
for  boys.  The  day  came  when  I  could  pay  the 
last  dollar.  That  same  day  I  made  a  covenant, 
saying  "I  will  take  to  my  home  the  neediest  boy 
I  have  ever  seen  in  Maine.  I  will  ask  no  one  to 
aid  me  in  caring  for  him.  If  anything  comes 
into  my  possession  above  my  stated  salary  of  $800 
which  I  can  use  for  the  boy,  I  will  regard  it  as 

15 


coming  from  heaven  for  the  boy's  support.  At 
the  end  of  each  month,  I  will  use  one-tenth  of 
my  own  income  and  anything  else  which  comes 
to  me,  in  paying  the  boy's  expenses.  If  I  have 
more  than  enough  for  the  boy,  I  will  deposit  it 
in  the  savings  bank,  as  the  Boys'  Fund.  Now, 
if  I  can  care  for  him  a  year  without  incurring 
debt,  I  ought  to  be  satisfied,  but  I  want  a  token 
from  God,  for  I  must  know  whether  this  is  a 
conviction  from  Him,  or  whether  1  am  cherish- 
ing a  boyish  whim  all  these  years.  If  in  addition 
to  the  boy's  expenses,  I  shall  receive  during  the 
year  enough  so  I  can  have  a  boys'  fund  of  $100 
for  further  operations,  I  will  take  it  as  a  token 
that  God  calls,  and  He  will  bless,  and  bring  to 
pass." 

I  took  the  boy,  in  need  of  clothes,  food,  and 
training  to  my  home  in  Bangor.  At  the  end  of 
each  month  I  paid  his  bills.  Now  it  would 
sometimes  happen  that  someone  would  hand  me 
a  dollar  and  say,  "you  are  working  hard,  do  what 
you  want  to  with  this  dollar."  Sometimes,  as 
I  was  in  the  scattered  districts,  in  the  employ  of 
the  American  Sunday  School  Union,  some  good 
woman  would  say,  "I  have  not  money  to  give  to 
the  union  as  I  wish  I  had,  but  I  want  to  give  you 

16 


a  pair  of  stockings  which  I  knit  with  my  own 
hands,  and  for  your  personal  use."  Or,  sometimes 
it  would  be  two  pairs  of  stockings,  or  a  pair  of 
mittens.  One  evening  a  company  of  friends  drove 
in  from  Kenduskeag  and  spent  the  evening. 
Many  of  them  were  young  converts,  and  before 
they  said  good  night,  they  placed  a  sum  of  money 
in  my  hands,  a  token  of  their  friendship.  Now, 
no  one  knew  at  this  time  about  the  ''Boys'  Fund" 
or  about  my  covenant.  These  things  were  given 
to  me  personally.  But  they  were  not  mine. 
According  to  my  covenant  they  belonged  to  the 
"Boys'  Fund."  If  I  used  the  knit  articles,  I  paid 
for  them.  In  other  cases  I  sold  them,  the  pro- 
ceeds always  going  to  swell  the  fund.  At  the  end 
of  the  year,  the  boy  had  been  cared  for  and  I  had 
about  $215  in  the  bank.  I  had  asked  God  for  a 
token.  He  had  given  it  to  me.  He  knew  I  had 
no  courage  and  so  He  had  more  than  doubled  the 
token.  There  could  be  no  mistake. 

About  this  time  I  spoke  to  two  or  three  men 
about  my  purpose  for  the  boys.  They  said: 
4<  Why  don't  you  tell  people  what  you  want  to  do?" 
I  replied  :  "If  I  had  $500,  to  begin  with,  I  would 
do  so.  But  the  work  will  call  for  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands.  Men  will  laugh  at  a  paltry 

17 


$215."  The  fund  grew  in  a  few  weeks  to  $500. 
These  friends  said :  "Why  don't  you  tell  people 
what  you  want  to  do  and  they  will  help  you."  I 
replied :  "Oh,  if  I  only  had  a  thousand  dollars, 
I  would  gladly  do  it.  If  I  tell  people  I  have  $500 
toward  a  work  which  will  call  for  thousands  and 
tens  of  thousands  I  will  only  be  ridiculed  for  my 
pains."  One  day  a  lady  told  me  she  had  placed 
an  invested  fund  of  $500  at  my  disposal,  the 
interest  only  to  be  used  for  the  "boys'  fund."  I 
had  then  the  $1,000.  I  did  not  dare  defer  the 
public  announcement  longer. 

The  next  month  I  published  the  first  issue  of 
a  little  paper  which  I  named  the  "Boys'  Fund" 
and  which  stated  the  purpose  of  the  fund,  and 
asked  for  assistance.  Four  hundred  and  fifty 
copies  were  printed.  Just  as  these  were  to  be 
mailed  it  was  discovered  that  the  apostrophe 
was  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  "s"  in  the  word 
"boys,'  "  a  mistake  which  occurred  not  only  on 
the  title  page,  but  through  all  the  columns.  The 
edition  was  destroyed,  and  a  new  one  was  printed, 
and  copies  sent  through  the  mail.  Small  cash 
contributions  began  to  arrive. 

On  the  first  day  of  January,  1888,  I  received 
a  letter  containing  a  check  for  fifty  dollars  for  the 

18 


"Boys'  Fund."  It  was  the  first  check,  and  up  to 
that  time  the  largest  gift.  I  was  the  richest  man 
in  Bangor  that  day. 

As  I  traveled  in  the  work  of  organizing  Sun- 
day schools  in  the  eastern  and  northern  parts  of 
the  State  of  Maine,  every  township  at  first  was, 
in  my  eyes,  a  possihle  location  for  the  boys'  home. 
As  my  acquaintance  with  that  part  of  the  State 
increased,  towns  and  counties  dropped  out  of  the 
bounds  of  possibility  in  rapid  succession.  But 
one  morning,  while  engaged  in  my  regular  work 
as  Sunday-school  Missionary,  I  took  a  walk  in 
North  Newport,  and  came  to  a  spot  from  which 
there  is  a  fine  view  of  Lake  Sebasticook  and 
the  surrounding  country.  I  sat  on  a  fence  and 
feasted  my  eyes  on  the  scene.  Looking  eastward 
across  the  north  arm  of  the  lake  to  a  great  hill, 
whose  top  is  crowned  by  an  oak  tree,  and  well 
up  toward  whose  summit  is  a  group  or  *  'stand" 
of  buildings,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  farm  on 
which  those  buildings  stood  must  be  beautiful 
for  situation,  and  I  decided  to  investigate.  An 
opportunity  to  visit  the  spot  soon  presented  itself 
and  I  improved  it.  The  owner  gave  me  a  cordial 
welcome  and  seemed  greatly  pleased  at  the  possi- 
bility that  his  farm  might  be  devoted  to  the  use 

19 


of  boys  and  become  the  foundation  of  benevolent 
work.  On  subsequent  visits  he  discussed  his 
interests  in  a  familiar  and  confidential  way.  It 
was  his  avowed  intention  to  aid  me  all  he  could 
by  making  various  concessions,  and  interesting 
others  in  the  project  as  much  as  possible.  It 
seemed  quite  probable  that  the  work  would  be 
located  there. 

My  second  child,  about  two  years  old,  was 
losing  his  hold  on  life  and  it  was  clear  that 
nothing  but  removal  from  the  city  would  save 
him.  A  house  was  hastily  rented  in  Newport, 
and  a  flight  made  into  the  clean,  sweet  country, 
to  which  I  wanted  to  see  other  boys  transferred 
from  the  blight  of  unfortunate  environment.  The 
change  in  the  boy's  condition  seemed  little  less 
than  miraculous,  and  furnished  evidence  of  the 
healthfulness  of  the  locality. 

Several  things  commended  the  Newport  farm. 
It  was  on  a  hill,  and  the  purest  of  fresh  air  was 
assured;  it  was  near  a  railroad;  the  soil  was 
fertile;  the  orchards  were  fruitful.  Several 
things  were  unfavorable.  The  hill  was  a  high 
one,  and  the  hauling  of  building  materials  up  its 
slope,  would  add  to  the  cost  of  building  projects ; 
the  water  supply,  while  sufficient  for  the  family 

20 


GEORGE   HENRY  QUIXCY. 


which  had  lived  there  and  for  the  amount  of  stock 
owned,  might  prove  insufficient  for  a  large  com- 
munity, and  a  supply  from  off  the  hill  would  be 
out  of  the  question ;  though  Sebasticook  Lake 
was  in  full  view  from  the  buildings,  the  boys,  if 
desiring  a  swim  or  row  would  be  compelled  to 
descend  the  hill  and  trespass  on  neighboring 
farms,  in  order  to  get  to  the  lake;  the  mail  boy, 
wnoever  he  might  be,  would  have  to  go  into  the 
heart  of  the  village  several  times  each  day, — an 
arrangement  which  almost  as  much  as  the  above 
considerations  influenced  me.  But  I  could  not 
hope  to  find  the  ideal  place.  There  would  be 
some  disadvantages  in  any  location  which  might 
be  selected.  So  the  work  of  advertising  the  plan 
went  on,  and  pledges  toward  the  purchase  of  the 
place  were  made,  and  at  the  same  time  small  sums 
were  received  for  the  purpose. 

At  this  juncture  I  faced  a  peculiar  problem. 
I  had  come  to  believe  that  the  homes  would  be 
established  in  Maine.  Divine  Providence  seemed 
to  point  to  it.  But  one  day  I  received  a  letter 
from  a  man  in  Hartford  Co.,  Conn.,  asking  me 
to  come  to  Hartford  at  once.  I  knew  that  he 
wished  to  confer  about  work  for  boys,  and  I 
accepted  the  invitation.  Upon  reaching  Hart- 

21 


ford  he  took  me  down  the  Connecticut  river  val- 
ley to  his  native  town,  and  up  the  hill  to  his  birth- 
place. The  old  homestead  where  he  had  spent 
his  boyhood  days,  belonged  to  him.  On  the  farm 
was  the  house  in  which  he  was  born,  and  a  more 
modern  one  which  he  had  built  for  a  member  of 
the  family. 

He  explained  to  me  his  plan.  He  was  a  trus- 
tee of  the  Mt.  Hermon  school,  founded  by  D.  L. 
Moody.  The  trustees  at  Mt.  Hermon  had  just 
decided  not  to  receive  boys  under  sixteen  years 
of  age,  while  it  was  my  plan  to  receive  boys  from 
the  ages  of  seven  to  fourteen.  He  would  make 
me  a  free  gift  of  the  farm  and  the  two  houses 
already  on  it.  The  fifty  acres — more  or  less — 
could  be  added  to  by  purchase ;  we  would  take  boys 
from  seven  to  fourteen,  and  when  they  reached 
sixteen  they  could  be  sent  to  Mt.  Hermon.  We 
would  call  this  new  plant  Mt.  Lebanon.  We 
would  thus  have  Mt.  Lebanon  on  the  south,  and 
Mt.  Hermon  on  the  north — both  on  the  banks  of 
the  Connecticut  river.  The  situation  was  inter- 
esting. 

Years  before,  when  my  whole  life  was  influ- 
enced by  the  cherished  plan  for  saving  boys,  I 
had  read  one  day  that  Mr.  Moody,  the  evangelist, 

22 


had  purchased  a  farm  and  was  to  open  a  school 
for  poor  boys.  The  announcement  was  a  shock. 
I  had  been  planning,  hoping,  praying ;  but  I  was 
a  poor  boy,  without  money  or  philanthropic 
friends.  Here  was  a  man,  who  it  seemed  to  me 
had  the  wealth  of  the  Christian  world  behind 
him :  he  had  a  hold  on  the  throne  as  well.  It 
was  great  news  for  the  world,  and  enough  to 
quicken  the  blood  of  every  one  interested  in  poor 
boys,  and  I  rejoiced  in  it.  It  meant  something 
different  to  me,  however.  If  Mr.  Moody  had 
taken  up  that  work,  then,  beyond  all  controversy, 
God  had  called  him  to  it,  and  it  would  succeed ; 
but  I  had  fondly  believed  that  God  had  called  me 
to  such  a  work  also,  and  I  must  be  mistaken. 
Under  such  circumstances — the  inspiration  and 
the  goal  of  my  life  having  been  taken  from  me, — 
life  seemed  scarcely  worth  the  living.  Here  I 
stood  for  months — living  the  saddest  of  all  sad 
lives — namely,  a  purposeless  one.  But  it  occurred 
to  me  one  day  to  put  it  thus  :  "It  is  plain  as  any- 
thing can  be  that  I  cannot  do  Evangelist  Moody's 
work.  This  is  fact  incontrovertible.  It  is  also 
plain  that  Mr.  Moody  cannot  do  my  work.  This 
is  also  incontrovertible.  Therefore,  since  Mr. 
Moody  is  doing  his  work,  which  is  very  great, 

23 


I  must  do  mine  even  though  it  be  very  small." 
I  gained  courage  thus,  and  a  few  years  later 
learned  to  my  surprise,  that  the  age  limit  for 
entrance  at  Mt.  Hermon  had  been  raised  to  six- 
teen. The  offer  of  the  farm  which  should  be 
known  as  Mt.  Lebanon  was  a  temptation.  The 
plan  unfolded  to  me  was  the  offspring  of  the 
mind  of  only  one  of  the  Mt.  Hermon  trustees; 
but  if  it  should  meet  the  approval  of  Mr.  Moody 
and  the  other  trustees,  the  project  would  at  once 
come  to  the  attention  of  people  prominent  in 
religious  and  philanthropic  work.  The  approval 
and  sympathy  of  such  people  was  what  I  craved, 
and  what  my  project  needed.  But  to  the  propo- 
sition I  said  "No,  I  cannot  accept  it.  The  plan 
seems  feasible ;  but  to  transfer  the  interest  from 
Maine  is  to  trample  upon  all  my  convictions  as 
to  locality,  and  ignore  what  I  have  regarded  as 
Providential  leadings.  I  must  not  do  it."  My 
friend  recognized  the  strength  of  my  position  and 
instead  of  urging  the  change  upon  me,  became 
the  largest  contributor  to  the  fund  for  the  first 
purchase  of  land  for  the  work  in  Maine.  He 
gave  me  a  check  for  $250.00. 

The  fund  steadily  grew,  and  each  interview 
with  the  owner  of  the  farm  in  Newport  seemed 

24 


CHARLES  M.  BAILEY. 


to  bring  the  coveted  property  nearer.  One  day 
I  rode  twenty  miles  with  the  owner,  in  the  inter- 
est of  the  purchase,  his  hope  being  that  an  aged 
relative  would  become  a  contributor.  At  nine 
o'clock  that  evening  we  stopped  at  the  fork  of  the 
road  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  leaving  the  car- 
riage, I  extended  my  hand  for  a  parting  saluta- 
tion. "Two  weeks  from  tonight  I'll  see  you  at 
your  house,"  I  said,  by  way  of  a  resume  of  a  long 
conversation,  and  we  parted. 

On  the  trip  that  day,  he  had  explained  why  he 
was  so  anxious  that  the  plan  for  the  transfer  of 
the  property  be  consummated.  He  was  suffering 
from  a  disease  which  was  beyond  the  skill  of 
physicians.  "I  may  live  a  year ;  I  may  live  only 
two  weeks,"  he  said.  "There  is  one  symptom 
which  may  appear  any  day;  and  when  that 
appears,  I  shall  know  how  many  days  I  can  live 
— somewhere  from  six  to  ten."  He  endeavored 
to  impress  upon  me  the  necessity  of  securing  the 
property  while  he  lived,  as,  by  so  doing  many 
complications  and  delays  could  be  avoided.  The 
remark  that  two  weeks  from  that  night  we  would 
meet  at  his  house  meant  that  I  hoped  and 
expected  the  transfer  of  the  property  would  be 
effected  at  that  time. 

25 


I  left  Newport  on  an  early  train  the  next  morn- 
ing for  an  absence  of  two  weeks,  but  in  response 
to  a  telegram  just  one  week  later,  I  returned  in 
order  to  give  an  address  at  his  funeral.  His  pre- 
diction as  to  the  nearness  of  his  own  death,  and 
also  as  to  the  obstacles  to  the  purchase  of  the 
farm,  after  his  demise,  were  all  fulfilled.  With 
his  death  the  Newport  project  died.  Sums, 
aggregating  several  hundred  dollars,  which  had 
been  pledged  for  the  purchase  of  the  farm,  had 
been  made  because  of  the  location,  and  when  the 
project  failed  these  pledges  became  worthless. 
The  fund,  therefore,  which  had  been  growing, 
was  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  reduced  by  a 
considerable  amount.  I  was  all  at  sea.  Having 
fixed  my  heart  on  that  place,  I  had  been  blind  to 
the  claims  of  others,  and  had  not  even  looked  for 
anything  better  in  my  journeyings. 

"What  do  you  think  now?"  said  some  of  my 
friends,  after  the  farm  had  gone  beyond  my 
reach.  "You  prayed  that  the  farm  you  selected 
might  be  secured  for  the  work.  What  becomes 
of  your  prayers  now  ?" 

"I  think  this ;  God  was  able  to  make  it  possi- 
ble for  me  to  secure  that  farm.  I  prayed  much 
for  it.  The  fact  that  he  does  not  give  it  to  me 

26 


means  that  there  is  somewhere  in  the  State  a  bet- 
ter place,  and  I  shall  have  it." 

It  became  necessary  to  acknowledge  in  the 
"Boys'  Fund"— the  little  monthly  published  in 
the  interest  of  the  work — that  the  Newport  farm 
would  not  be  bought,  btit  that  some  other  place 
would  be  selected.  The  press  had  been  uni- 
formly kind,  and  many  helpful,  encouraging 
things  had  been  said  in  the  public  prints.  No 
paper  in  the  State  had  been  more  helpful  than 
the  Bangor  Commercial.  In  fact  it  had  called 
attention  to  the  undertaking  oftener  than  any 
other  paper,  and  always  in  a  helpful  way.  But 
its  announcement  that  the  Newport  place  would 
not  be  purchased  was  worded  unfortunately,  and 
was  practically  an  announcement  that  the  plan 
for  boys'  work  had  been  abandoned ;  that  my 
family  had  gone  to  Rhode  Island,  and  I  was  to 
leave  the  State  in  a  few  weeks.  I  saw  the  item 
and  smiled.  It  was  true  that  my  family  was  in 
Rhode  Island,  on  a  two  weeks'  visit.  It  was  also 
true  that  I  was  going  out  of  the  State  in  a  few 
weeks — at  the  end  of  my  family's  visit  in  Rhode 
Island,  to  bring  it  back  again.  The  item  would 
not  have  received  a  second  thought,  only  that 
friends  in  Bangor  wrote  me  that  the  item  was 

27 


likely  to  do  much  harm  to  the  project,  and  to  me 
personally  unless  contradicted.  It  seemed  to  me 
the  best  refutation  was  the  pushing  of  the  work ; 
but  where  was  the  farm  to  be  purchased  ?  Two 
or  three  were  examined.  One  held  at  ten  thou- 
sand dollars  was  offered  as  a  free  gift,  on  the 
one  condition  that  the  family  cemetery  on  the 
farm  be  always  kept  in  good  order.  But  the  loca- 
tion was  not  convenient  for  the  public ;  there  was 
no  place  on  or  near  it,  where  a  summer  meeting 
such  as  I  contemplated  could  be  held. 

Weeks  grew  into  months,  and  as  spring  drew 
near,  I  made  several  visits  to  Fayette,  Me.,  to 
look  at  a  farm  there.  It  did  not  seem  to  be  just 
the  place  for  the  reason  that  it  was  removed  from 
railroads,  though  not  more  so  than  two  or  three 
very  prosperous  schools  in  Maine.  There  were 
two  houses  on  the  farm — one  old  one,  and  the 
other  just  completed.  It  was  thought  that  the 
farm  could  be  bought  for  about  what  the  new 
house  had  cost — $2,000.  I  made  one  journey  to 
see  the  owner — a  widow.  She  was  on  a  visit  in 
Massachusetts,  and  would  be  home  on  a  certain 
date.  On  that  date  I  went  again — she  had  not 
returned  but  was  on  her  way  home. 


28 


Before  the  third  trip  I  pondered  the  problem 
much,  and  finally  settled  the  matter  in  this  way ; 
"I  don't  know  whether  or  not  I  ought  to  locate 
the  work  there.  I  wish  I  did  know,  and  that  I 
might  have  some  token — something  to  guide  me. 
Now,  if  on  my  next  trip  the  owner  says  she  will 
take  two  thousand  dollars  for  the  place  as  it  is,  I 
will  regard  it  as  a  token  that  it  is  right  to  locate 
there  even  though  there  are  unfavorable  features 
about  the  situation.  If  she  asks  more  than  two 
thousand  dollars  it  shall  be  a  token  that  I  ought 
not  to  buy  it." 

Having  thus  decided  the  matter  as  I  thought — 
so  far  as  it  could  be  decided — I  began  to  arrange 
for  immediate  activities.  I  wrote  for  a  carpenter  to 
meet  me  at  the  farm  to  estimate  the  cost  of  needed 
repairs  on  the  old  house,  and  the  finishing  touches 
on  the  new  one.  A  lawyer  was  asked  to  meet  me 
there  to  prove  a  clear  title  and  make  out  the  deed. 
It  was  now  early  spring,  and  as  I  started  on  the 
trip  I  took  a  supply  of  garden  seeds,  so  that  some 
farmer  might  be  set  at  work  immediately,  and 
that  vegetables  might  be  raised  for  the  family  of 
boys  which  would  be  gathered  there  in  the  fall. 


The  owner's  son-in-law  met  me  at  the  station, 
and  as  we  drove  away  I  said :  "What  will  she 
take  for  the  farm  ?" 

"I  have  talked  with  her  about  it,"  was  the 
reply,  "and  she  says  she  will  take  two  thousand 
and  last  year's  taxes." 

That  ought  to  have  settled  it.  The  token  was 
to  be  two  thousand  dollars;  the  price  was  two 
thousand  dollars,  plus.  It  would  have  been  the 
part  of  wisdom  for  me  to  have  said :  "Stop  the 
horse ;  take  me  back  to  the  station.  I  have  rea- 
sons for  not  purchasing  the  farm."  Instead  of 
this,  I  reasoned  within  me,  that  "last  year's 
taxes"  on  a  two  thousand  dollar  farm  could  not 
be  very  heavy,  and  that  I  could  not  afford  to  let 
so  small  a  sum  stand  between  a  farm  home,  and 
the  boys  that  needed  it. 

Little  was  said,  as  we  rode  toward  the  place. 
We  reached  our  destination  at  noon,  and  as  soon 
as  we  entered  the  house  we  were  asked  to  dinner. 
I  had  felt  as  well  as  usual  that  morning ;  but  as 
my  host  was  passing  me  food,  my  head  dropped  on 
my  shoulder;  I  indistinctly  heard  some  one  say, 
"Oh,  he's  sick,"  and  was  only  conscious  that  there 
was  a  great  commotion,  and  I  was  being  removed 
to  a  bed  in  an  adjoining  room.  In  the  general 

30 


alarm  a  physician  was  called,  who,  after  a  careful 
examination  said  I  was  suffering  from  complete 
nervous  prostration,  and  advised  my  return  home 
for  a  long  course  of  treatment  by  my  family 
physician.  The  advice  was  accompanied  by  the 
information  that  it  would  probably  be  two  years 
before  I  would  be  able  to  do  any  work. 

The  people  carefully  nursed  me  that  night,  and 
the  next  morning,  helped  me  into  the  carriage 
which  was  to  take  me  to  the  train.  I  was  cer- 
tainly sick  and  weak.  As  we  neared  the  station, 
— and  increased  the  distance  between  us  and  the 
farm — I  rallied  rapidly.  At  the  station,  unaided, 
I  boarded  the  train,  which  was  to  take  me  still 
farther.  On  reaching  Waterville,  I  left  the  train, 
and  took  a  street  car  to  the  office  of  the  Fairfield 
Journal,  where  my  paper  was  being  printed. 

"You  have  made  the  mistake  of  your  life,"  said 
the  editor  of  the  Journal. 

"How?"  I  inquired. 

"By  locating  your  work  where  you  have — so 
far  from  railroad  and  other  facilities.  It's  too 
bad." 

"But  I  haven't  done  it,"  I  remonstrated. 


"Well,  we  are  just  going  to  press  with  your 
own  statement  that  you  have  bought  a  place  in 
Fayette." 

"Yes/'  I  replied,  "but  I  have  called  to  make  a 
correction  in  the  proof,"  and  I  made  it. 

"Now,"  said  the  editor,  "six  miles  to  the  north 
of  here  is  a  farm,  which  I  have  often  thought 
was  the  place  for  your  work.  I  had  planned  to 
speak  to  you  about  it,  but  did  not  know  you  were 
in  such  haste  to  buy." 

"Can  I  see  the  place  today?"  I  asked. 

"Certainly,  I'll  have  a  team  here  in  fifteen 
minutes,"  and  fifteen  minutes  later  we  started 
on  the  drive  northward — the  editor,  and  the  man 
who  the  day  before,  by  a  physician,  had  been  laid 
aside  from  all  work  for  two  years  at  least — to 
inspect  a  farm.  When  we  drove  up  in  front  of 
the  Chase  farmhouse — now  Good  Will  Cottage 
— to  the  editor  I  said  with  my  lips,  "This  is  the 
place;"  in  my  heart  I  said  "Thank  God  I  have 
found  it.  After  all  these  years  of  trying  to  follow 
the  leading  of  Divine  Providence  the  finger 
points  to  this  place.  Here  the  work  will  be 
established;  here  God  will  honor  and  bless  the 
effort."  The  physician's  diagnosis  was  without 
foundation  in  fact.  The  next  two  years  instead 

32 


of  being  given  over  to  nervous  prostration,  were 
among  the  most  active,  laborious,  and  exacting  of 
my  life. 

The  farm  contained  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres.  It  was  purchased  in  June,  1889.  It 
took  all  the  money  in  the  Boys'  Fund  to  pay  for 
it. 

As  soon  as  purchased  it  was  necessary  to  give 
it  a  name.  Several  Sunday  school  classes  had 
organized  themselves  into  clubs,  each  member 
pledging  one,  two  or  five  cents  per  week  toward 
the  fund,  with  which  a  farm  for  boys  was  to  be 
purchased.  I  had  suggested  that  they  take  their 
name  from  the  song  of  the  herald  angels  recorded 
in  the  second  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  and  call  them- 
selves Good  Will  Clubs.  This  they  did.  In 
their  honor  the  farm  was  named,  and  the  farm- 
house was  called  Good  Will  Cottage. 


33 


CHAPTER  III. 

To  me,  in  early  life,  the  noblest  word  in  the 
English  language  was  "Philanthropist."  I  had 
read  of  philanthropy  and  philanthropists,  but  it 
was  not  my  privilege  to  know  the  philanthropic. 
While  the  work  of  raising  the  funds  to  pay  for  a 
farm  was  in  progress,  I  read  with  great  interest 
in  the  Boston  papers  an  account  of  a  concert 
given  by  a  company  of  young  men — the  Long- 
wood  Minstrels —  in  aid  of  a  project  to  establish 
a  Home  for  boys  at  Dedham,  Mass.  This  was 
to  be  a  branch  of  the  work  of  the  Boston  Chil- 
drens'  Friend  Society  whose  headquarters  were 
at  No.  48  Rutland  street. 

So  near  as  I  could  judge  from  the  article,  Mr. 
George  Henry  Quincy  of  Boston  was  the  prime 
mover  in  the  project,  and  with  an  extended 
acquaintance  was  accomplishing,  and  was  able 
to  accomplish  large  things.  I  said  in  my  heart, 
"Oh,  for  the  friendship  and  co-operation  of  such 
a  man !"  From  a  human  standpoint,  I  was  very 
much  alone  in  the  effort.  The  discovery  of  Mr. 

34 


HIRAM  H.  FOGG. 


Quincy's  project  did  not  have  the  effect  on  me 
that  the  announcement  of  Mr.  Moody  did, 
because  I  regarded  it  as  local  in  its  aim,  not  gen- 
eral in  its  scope,  as  I  intended  Good  Will  should 
be.  There  was  not  therefore,  the  appearance  of 
any  conflict,  or  any  reason  in  the  existence  of  the 
Dedham  project,  why  the  farm  in  Maine  should 
not  be  purchased. 

The  day  I  reached  my  temporary  home,  after 
having  been  laid  aside  for  a  two  years'  rest  by 
the  physician  who  examined  me,  and  after  hav- 
ing been  shown  the  farm  at  East  Fairfield  by  the 
editor  of  the  Fairfield  Journal,  I  consulted  my 
family  physician  in  Newport.  He  assured  me 
that  if  I  followed  his  instructions  carefully,  I 
would  be  able  to  go  to  work  again  in  a  much 
shorter  time  than  two  years — possibly  in  six 
months.  Five  days  later,  he  accosted  me  as  I 
passed  his  house,  with  a  valise  in  my  hand,  going 
toward  the  railroad  station. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  he  inquired,  "Where 
are  you  going?" 

"Going  to  Old  Orchard"  I  replied. 

"Good!"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  "It's  the  very 
best  thing  you  can  do ;  stay  as  long  as  you  can ; 
keep  perfectly  quiet ;  don't  you  dare  preach." 

35 


I  had  not  the  courage  to  tell  him  that  on  that 
very  day — Friday — I  was  on  my  way  to  Old 
Orchard,  not  to  keep  perfectly  quiet,  but  to 
preach  twice  on  Sunday,  to  do  some  special  work 
through  the  week,  and  to  preach  twice  again  on 
the  following  Sunday.  I  carried  out  my  plan, 
and  having  done  so  I  took  a  train  for  Boston, 
with  the  avowed  purpose  of  attending  a  great 
National  Convention  to  be  held  in  Tremont 
Temple.  But  I  made  what  seemed  at  the  time  an 
awkward  blunder, — went  to  Boston  a  day  earlier 
than  was  necessary.  I  did  not  realize  this  until 
I  reached  the  city  and  it  dawned  upon  me  that 
there  would  be  nothing  of  interest  in  the  conven- 
tion for  me  until  the  next  afternoon.  I  might  far 
better  have  remained  at  Old  Orchard  until  a  day 
later.  Sitting  down  in  my  room,  a  sense  of  lone- 
liness stealing  over  me,  an  entire  stranger  in  the 
city,  and  mystified  that  I  could  make  such  a 
stupid  mistake,  I  said  to  myself,  "Hinckley,  what 
are  you  here  for?  Why  didn't  you  stay  in  the 
quiet  of  Old  Orchard  till  you  ought  to  come 
here?"  The  only  answer  I  could  give  the  prob- 
lem of  my  own  propounding  was  this ;  "I'll  wait 
and  see.  Perhaps  I  ought  to  be  here.  I've  com- 
mitted my  way  and  I'll  see  what  comes  of  it." 

36 


After  an  evening  meal,  I  started  out  for  a  walk. 
As  I  strolled  along  Tremont  street,  I  noticed 
many  people  hurrying  into  a  building.  It  was 
Tremont  Temple.  Large  posters  announced  the 
seventh  anniversary  of  the  Salvation  Army  in 
New  England.  Not  having  seen  the  work  of 
the  Army  under  favorable  circumstances,  I  pur- 
chased a  ticket  and  secured  a  seat  in  the  balcony. 
Happening  to  look  down  on  the  audience  below, 
1  saw  Rev.  N.  D.  Curtis  of  Fairfield,  and  we 
nodded  a  recognition.  A  few  minutes  later, 
looking  in  the  same  direction,  a  man  of  noble 
appearance  who  sat  by  Mr.  Curtis'  side  motioned 
me  to  meet  him  in  the  vestibule.  The  man  was 
a  stranger  to  me,  but  I  obeyed  the  summons.  In 
the  vestibule  the  man  seized  my  hand,  and  said : 
"My  name  is  Quincy — George  Henry  Quincy. 
Mr.  Curtis  tells  me  you  are  interested  in  a  boys' 
home;  so  am  I.  It's  at  Dedham.  I  want  to 
know  you." 

This  introduction  thrilled  me.  I  stood  on  no 
conventionality,  but  replied,  "Why,  I'm  supposed 
to  be  here  to  attend  a  convention  which  opens 
tomorrow.  But  really,  I'm  here  to  visit  the  Ded- 
ham home  for  boys,  for  I  have  read  about  it,  and 
about  you.  I'm  going  there  tomorrow." 

37 


"No,  no,"  he  replied,  "wait  till  the  next  day, 
and  Mr.  Curtis  and  I  will  accompany  you." 

When  I  returned  to  my  room  that  night  I 
understood  why  I  had  been  allowed  to  so  stupidly 
reach  Boston  ahead  of  time. 

Wednesday  we  lunched  at  the  newly  opened 
home  for  boys  in  Dedham — the  home  for  which 
the  Longwood  Minstrels  sang,  and  for  which 
Mr.  Quincy  had  labored  so  unremittingly.  It 
was  after  lunch,  while  we  were  yet  lingering  at 
the  Home,  when  I  said  to  Mr.  Curtis  :  "I  expect 
to  purchase  the  farm  at  East  Fairfield,  as  soon  as 
I  return,  but  it's  a  pity  that  the  property  should 
remain  idle  till  September  1st,  when  the  first  boys 
will  be  received.  I  wish  I  could  arrange  for 
some  'Fresh  Air'  work  for  children  this  sum- 
mer." As  promptly  as  though  he  had  been  con- 
sidering the  matter  for  days,  Mr.  Quincy  said, 
"If  you  will  be  responsible  for  the  support  of 
fifteen  boys  and  girls  and  two  lady  attendants  for 
six  weeks  this  summer,  I'll  select  the  children, 
and  be  responsible  for  their  transportation." 
"I'll  do  it"  was  my  reply. 

The  convention  which  I  attended  was  a 
great  one,  but  my  heart  was  not  there.  Mr. 
Quincy  did  not  attend  the  meetings;  at  least  I 

38 


did  not  see  him  again  that  week,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  my  seemingly  ill-timed  arrival  in  Boston 
I  might  never  have  known  him.  Upon  returning 
home  at  the  earliest  date  I  could,  negotiations  for 
the  purchase  of  the  farm  at  East  Fairfield  were 
completed.  Notice  was  served  on  the  tenant  to 
quit  the  premises.  As  soon  as  the  place  was 
vacated  work  began.  East  Fairfield  was  an  iso- 
lated place,  and  it  was  difficult  to  get  any  help. 
There  was  a  demand  for  cleaner,  painter,  plas- 
terer, and  paper-hanger.  The  ceiling  of  the 
kitchen  was  first  scraped  with  hoes,  and  then 
treated  to  a  liberal  coat  of  lime.  A  French  Can- 
adian woman  was  secured  to  scrub  the  floors. 
She  arrived  one  morning  at  seven  o'clock.  At 
seven  thirty  she  asked  me  for  an  advanced  pay- 
ment of  twenty-five  cents.  She  had  left  noth- 
ing in  the  house  to  eat.  She  had  brought 
one  of  her  grandsons — an  eight-year-old  boy — 
so  he  could  go  to  the  store  and  buy  some  salt 
pork  for  their  dinner.  She  would  have  him  go 
to  the  store — a  mile  to  the  north — and  make  the 
purchase,  and  take  it  home,  a  mile  to  the 
south.  I  advanced  the  money,  and  the  boy 
started  on  what  I  supposed  was  an  errand  of 
mercy.  The  journey  resulted  in  one  twenty-five 

39 


cent  bottle  of  Jamaica  Ginger,  which  being  some- 
what diluted  with  water,  developed  a  case  of 
semi-drunkenness.  She  declared  her  knees  had 
given  out  entirely,  and  that  she  could  not  do  any 
more  work  that  day.  It  was  then  1 1 :  30 ;  she 
would  come  the  next  morning  at  seven.  This 
was  vexation ;  but  there  was  no  alternative,  as 
there  was  no  one  else  to  scrub.  She  appeared  the 
next  morning  at  7:30.  At  eight  she  asked  for 
an  advance  payment  of  twenty-five  cents,  as  a 
relative  of  hers  had  died  suddenly,  and  she 
wished  to  send  a  telegram.  I  groaned  in  spirit ; 
assured  her  that  if  she  didn't  complete  the  work 
that  day  I  should  pay  her  nothing  beyond  the 
amount  I  was  advancing.  As  her  grandson  was 
not  with  her  she  started  in  the  direction  of  the 
nearest  store,  a  mile  away,  and  came  back  with 
another  bottle  of  Jamaica  Ginger.  She  was  more 
temperate,  however,  than  on  the  preceding  day, 
and  by  dint  of  coaxing,  and  threatening,  she  was 
kept  at  work  till  the  task  was  completed — after 
a  fashion. 

The  paper-hanger  came  to  "do"  several  rooms, 
and  when  all  were  done  but  one — the  one  that 
must  be  papered  anyway — he  informed  me  that 
he  had  a  chance  at  a  six  weeks'  job  in  Augusta, 

40 


which  he  would  lose  if  he  remained  another  day 
in  order  to  paper  the  remaining  room.  He  left. 
Arming  myself  with  a  pair  of  shears  and  a  paste 
brush,  I  completed  the  task  he  had  left,  and  no 
one  ever  suspected  the  room  was  not  papered  by 
skilled  hands. 

I  went  for  a  plasterer;  the  only  one  I  could 
learn  of,  to  do  the  small  but  important  job  in  his 
line.  He  couldn't  come.  I  left  his  house  and 
went  away.  These  delays  were  getting-  to  be 
serious.  I  laid  the  matter  before  Omnipotence, 
and  plead  for  aid.  Then  I  sent  to  the  plasterer 
again;  I  wished  he  could  do  the  little  work 
required.  He  gave  no  reason  for  changing  his 
mind  ;  but  he  did  the  work  and  seemed  to  be  glad 
to  do  it. 

The  woodwork  of  some  of  the  rooms  had  never 
been  painted,  and  as  I  could  not  learn  of  any 
painter  near  by,  whose  services  were  available, 
and  as  there  was  no  money  in  the  treasury,  Mr. 
Arthur  Curtis,  a  theological  student,  who  was 
spending  his  vacation  in  Fairfield  village,  vol- 
unteered his  services,  and  together  we  undertook 
the  job  of  painting  the  interior,  and  completed 
the  task  on  time. 


The  through  train  from  Boston  stopped  at  the 
Farm,  July  I5th,  and  a  family  of  seventeen  per- 
sons alighted  for  a  stay  of  six  weeks — twelve 
girls,  three  boys,  and  two  lady  attendants.  That 
night  at  nine  o'clock  the  farm  house  was  still; 
the  fifteen  tired  little  pilgrims  were  asleep.  At 
9 130  Harry  notified  me  that  his  brother  Joe  was 
sick — "awfully  sick."  It  proved  to  be  a  case  of 
too  many  raspberries,  in  conjunction  with  liberal 
libations  of  new  milk.  When  his  stomach  was 
finally  unloaded  Joe  was  comfortable,  and  quiet 
reigned  again.  Tt  was  ten  o'clock.  At  10 145 — 
Mason  informed  me  that  Harry  had  the  nose 
bleed — "he  did  sometimes" — and  a  lamp  was 
lighted.  The  flow  of  blood  was  staunched,  the 
deck  cleared,  and  all  hands  slept.  At  1 1 :  30  we 
were  all  awakened  by  a  series  of  cries  calculated 
to  make  one's  hair  stand  on  end,  and  his  voice 
"stick  in  his  throat."  Mason  had  the  nightmare. 
"He  did  once  in  a  while."  At  1 : 30  Isabel, 
dreaming  that  her  mother  had  come  from  Boston, 
and  was  ringing  the  front  door  bell,  sprang  out 
of  bed,  and  with  sundry  exclamations,  started 
down  stairs  in  her  sleep  to  meet  the  woman  at 
the  door.  At  3:15  Molly  Duffy  fell  out  of  bed 
striking  the  floor  with  a  heavy  thud.  The  other 

42 


GOOD  WILL  COTTAGE 


GOLDEN  RULE  COTTAGE 


incidents  of  that  first  night  at  Good  Will  are  not 
worthy  of  mention.  The  six  weeks  passed 
quickly  and  the  end  was  near  at  hand. 

The  three  boys  interviewed  me  one  day,  and 
asked  if  they  could  stay  at  the  farm,  after  the 
girls  went  back.  I  promised  to  give  thought  to 
the  matter  and  to  render  a  decision  later.  The 
next  day  another  interview  took  place  thus : 

"You  are  going  to  have  a  boys'  home  here, 
aren't  you  ?" 

"I  hope  to." 

"It  will  be  a  home  for  boys  in  need  of  a  help- 
ing hand,  wont  it  ?" 

"Yes,  that's  what  it's  for." 

"Well,  we  are  the  first  boys  that  came  here, 
ain't  we?" 

"You  certainly  are." 

"Then  we  ought  to  have  the  first  chance,  hadn't 
we?" 

"I'll  think  about  it." 

It  was  decided  that  the  three  boys  should 
remain,  and  thus  it  happened  that  the  first  day 
of  September,  1889,  Good  Will  Cottage  was 
formally  opened  for  boys,  and  these  three  from 
Massachusetts  were  the  first  occupants. 


43 


CHAPTER  IV. 


There  had  been  no  time  when  I  felt  like  asking 
for  an  organization;  in  fact  there  was  nothing 
to  organize.  But  I  wanted  any  property  which 
might  be  secured  to  rest  in  other  hands  than  mine. 
But  my  acquaintance  was  slight.  I  called  on 
Hon.  Moses  Giddings  of  Bangor,  who  received 
me  cordially.  To  my  great  satisfaction  he  con- 
sented to  act  as  president  of  an  association,  if  it 
were  organized.  From  that  time  Mr.  Giddings 
proved  to  be  a  wise  counsellor,  a  generous  helper, 
— though  his  benefactions  were  seldom 
announced, — a  sympathizer  whose  words  of 
encouragement  were  a  constant  inspiration. 

In  November,  1889,  a  meeting  was  called  and 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association  was  organized 
under  the  general  statutes  of  the  State  of  Maine. 
The  following  officers  were  elected : 

President — Moses  Giddings,  Bangor,  Me. 

Vice-President— J.  B.  Mayo,  Foxcroft,  Me. 

Secretary — N.  W.  Brainerd,  Fairfield,  Me. 

Treasurer — George  Gushing,  Skowhegan,  Me. 

44 


Trustees — George  Henry  Quincy,  Boston, 
Mass.;  F.  C.  Jones,  Hartford,  Conn.;  J.  G. 
Blake,  Bangor,  Me. ;  J.  O.  Smith,  Skowhegan, 
Me.^;  V.  Richard  Foss,  Portland,  Me. 

Directors— G.  W.  Hinckley,  East  Fairfield, 
Me.;  Charles  Dunn,  Jr.,  Portland,  Me.;  Frank 
B.  Philbrick,  Waterville,  Me.;  C.  C.  Nichols, 
Foxcroft,  Me. ;  L.  L.  Walton,  Skowhegan,  Me. ; 
E.  P.  Mayo,  Fairfield,  Me. ;  D.  W.  Allen,  Fair- 
field,  Me. 

The  by-laws  adopted  were  as  follows,  a  few 
changes  having  since  been  made : 

ARTICLE  I.    Name. 

The  name  of  this  corporation  shall  be  Good 
Will  Home  Association. 

ARTICLE  II.    Membership. 

Any  person  may  become  a  member  of  this 
Association  by  the  annual  payment  of  two  dol- 
lars to  the  Association ;  a  life  member  by  the 
payment  of  fifty  dollars  at  one  time.  Each  mem- 
ber shall  have  the  right  to  vote  at  the  annual 
meeting. 


45 


ARTICLE  III.     Officers. 

The  officers  of  this  corporation  shall  be  a 
President,  Vice-President,  Treasurer,  Clerk, 
Superintendent,  not  less  than  three  nor  more  than 
seven  Directors  and  five  Trustees.  The  Presi- 
dent, Vice-President  and  Superintendent  shall  be 
chosen  by  the  Directors  and  shall  be,  ex  oflicio, 
members  of  the  board  of  Directors. 

ARTICLE  IV.    Duties  of  Officers. 

President.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Presi- 
dent to  preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  members 
and  of  the  Directors,  and  with  the  advice  and 
consent  of  the  Directors  to  appoint  all  necessary 
committees. 

Vice-President.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Vice-President  to  act  for  the  President  in  all  his 
duties  when  the  President  is  absent;  and  in  the 
absence  of  both  President  and  Vice-President  the 
members  at  a  members'  meeting  and  the  Direc- 
tors at  a  Directors'  meeting  shall  choose  one  of 
their  number  to  preside  and  fulfill  all  the  duties 
of  said  officers  as  the  President  pro  tern. 

Treasurer.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Treas- 
urer to  collect,  safely  keep  and  disburse  the 
moneys  of  the  corporation,  in  the  manner  here- 

46 


THOMAS  W.    HALL. 


in-after  provided.  He  shall  give  a  bond,  when 
required  to  do  so,  by  a  vote  of  the  Directors  at 
any  regular  meeting,  in  such  sum  and  with  such 
sureties  as  the  vote  may  direct. 

Clerk.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Clerk  to 
keep  a  correct  record  of  all  meetings  of  the 
Directors  and  of  the  members  and  to  hol3  such 
records  open  for  the  inspection  of  any  member 
at  all  reasonable  times.  In  his  absence  a  Clerk 
pro  tern,  may  be  chosen. 

Superintendent.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Superintendent  to  have  general  supervision  of  the 
interest  of  the  work ;  to  attend  to  the  correspon- 
dence of  the  Association ;  to  fill  all  business 
papers  including  surrenders,  indentures  and  cer- 
tificates of  life  membership ;  to  keep  a  list  of  all 
children  received,  with  such  particulars  as  the 
Board  of  Directors  may  prescribe.  To  make  an 
annual  report,  and  to  appoint  such  assistants  and 
employees,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the 
Directors,  as  the  work  demands. 

Board  of  Directors.  The  duties  of  the  Board 
of  Directors  shall  be  as  follows : 

( i )  To  have  general  charge  of  the  property 
and  business  of  the  corporation,  its  officers  and 
committees,  to  act  upon  and  confirm  or  reject  all 

47 


committees  nominated  by  the  President,  and 
finally  to  have  control  of  all  matters  connected 
with  the  corporation. 

(2)  To  act  as  an  auditing  committee  upon 
all  expenditures  and  all  bills  presented,  and  by 
vote  to  authorize  any  expenditure. 

(3)  To  make  all  contracts  or  to  authorize  the 
making  of  them  by  the  officers  of  the  corpora- 
tion ;  and  no  contract  shall  be  binding  upon  the 
corporation  unless  previously  authorized  or  sub- 
sequently ratified  by  a  vote  of  the  Directors. 

(4)  To  provide  for  the  care  of  the  property 
of  the  Association,  its  buildings  and  grounds. 

Trustees.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Trustees 
to  receive  charge  of  the  property  of  the  corpora- 
tion when  the  same  shall  be  turned  over  to  them 
by  the  Directors. 

ARTICLE  V.     Meetings. 

The  regular  annual  meeting  of  the  Associa- 
tion for  the  election  of  officers  and  the  transac- 
tion of  other  business,  shall  be  held  on  the  Mon- 
day preceding  the  first  Wednesday  of  July  in 
each  year.  Notice  of  such  annual  meeting  and 
of  the  business  proposed  to  be  transacted  shall  be 
given  by  posting  a  written  notice  thereof  in  some 

48 


conspicuous  place  upon  the  buildings  or  grounds 
owned  by  the  Association,  at  least  seven  days 
prior  to  the  date  of  said  meeting.  The  Board  of 
Directors  may  regulate  the  time  of  calling  their 
own  meetings,  but  a  majority  of  the  Directors 
must  be  present  to  constitute  a  quorum  for  the 
transaction  of  business. 

ARTICLE  VI.     Amendments. 

These  By-Laws  may  be  altered  or  amended  by 
a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  members  present  and 
voting  at  the  annual  meeting,  provided  that  notice 
of  such  alteration  or  amendment  was  given  in  the 
written  notice  of  the  meeting  as  directed  in  Arti- 
cle V.  of  these  By-Laws. 


49 


CHAPTER  V. 


Mr.  Quincy  was  greatly  impressed  by  what  he 
saw  on  his  first  trip  to  Good  Will.  There  were 
one  farm  house,  two  old  barns,  and  rods  and  rods 
of  "Virginia  Rail  Fence."  That  was  all.  There 
were  few  trees,  no  shrubbery,  no  flowers,  no 
cleanly  cut  walks  or  roads.  A  favorable  loca- 
tion, and  great  possibilities  were  what  he  dis- 
covered. It  did  not  occur  to  me  that  his  affec- 
tions could  be  transferred  from  the  Dedham 
Home  to  Good  Will :  and  I  would  not  have  asked 
it.  But  each  month  seemed  to  strengthen  his 
conviction  that  the  work  at  Dedham  was  geo- 
graphically restricted,  while  almost  unlimited 
developments  at  Good  Will  were  possible.  He 
did  much  for  this  new  interest  himself.  Some- 
times he  would  say,  "I  cannot  do  all  I  would  like 
to  do  myself ;  but  when  I  cannot  do  a  thing  that 
should  be  done,  I  can  sometimes  find  one  who  can 
do  it."  Thus  he  accomplished  much  for  Good 
Will  and  was  a  strong  helper  in  tiding  the  work 
over  some  critical  periods  in  its  early  history.  In 

50 


addition  to  his  cash  gifts,  a  row  boat,  a  small 
tent,  a  stereopticon,  a  span  of  horses — Kentucky 
thoroughbreds — were  among  his  direct  gifts. 
He  secured  contributions  of  needed  articles  from 
others — such  as  a  pair  of  rubber  boots  for  each 
boy  at  the  Farm ;  and  cash  gifts,  including  an 
individual  contribution  of  two  thousand  dollars, 
as  a  kind  of  emergency  fund.  This  sum,  a  very 
large  one  in  that  stage  of  the  development,  was 
not  acknowledged  in  the  Good  Will  Record,  but 
was  carefully  expended  for  things  most  needed, 
and  with  Mr.  Quincy's  approval.  It  was  known 
as  the  "Q"  fund  while  it  lasted. 

In  1890  a  very  small  house  on  an  acre  of  land 
joining  Good  Will  Farm  on  the  north  was  made 
vacant  by  the  death  of  the  sole  occupant.  I  was 
not  pleased  with  the  possibilities  of  that  vacant 
house.  It  was  very  small,  and  no  one  with  a 
good  business  would  be  likely  to  occupy  it.  It 
might  be  rented  by  some  irresponsible  party,  with 
a  family  of  vicious  boys,  over  whom  we  could 
have  no  control,  but  whose  influence  on  the  Good 
Will  boys  might  be  pernicious.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  might  be  purchased  by  some  one,  who, 
as  the  work  grew  would  see  our  necessity  and 
hold  it  at  a  fabulous  price,  or  refuse  to  sell  for 


any  consideration.  I  viewed  the  farms  on  the 
north  and  south  of  Good  Will  with  designing 
eyes.  The  west  boundary  was  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter and  twenty-seven  rods  from  the  eastern 
boundary,  and  the  eastern  boundary  was  the 
Kennebec  river.  If  the  farm  on  the  north  should 
be  added  to  Good  Will,  and  that  single  acre  with 
its  little  buildings  should  be  wilfully  held  by  some 
future  owner,  it  would  be  a  blot  on  the  land- 
scape— an  annoyance  all  the  year  round.  So 
money  was  secured  and  it  was  purchased.  The 
price  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  There? 
is  a  promise  in  Holy  writ — a  promise  for  those 
who  are  faithful  in  little  things.  This  added  acre 
and  its  house  and  stable  were  little  things,  no 
doubt,  but  there  was  an  opportunity  for  the  faith- 
ful use  of  them.  The  house  was  converted  into 
a  home  for  seven  boys — who  all  slept  in  one 
room,  which  was  at  once  chamber  and  attic,  as 
the  house  was  one  story.  A  circle  of  King's 
Daughters  from  Skowhegan, — the  Sunshine 
Circle — was  present  on  the  day  of  its  dedication, 
and  in  that  Circle's  honor,  it  was  named  Sun- 
shine Cottage. 

Up  to  the  time  of  this  purchase  we  had  held 
religious  services  on  Sunday  in  one  of  the  rooms 

52 


CHAS.    E.    MOODY. 


in  Good  Will  Cottage,  but  we  needed  that  room 
for  other  purposes.  Very  near  Sunshine  Cot- 
tage was  a  stable ;  the  hay  loft  of  which  could  be 
converted  into  a  place  of  worship.  By  placing 
a  stairway  on  the  outside  of  the  building,  we 
secured  a  room  about  18  x  20  feet,  with  windows 
in  the  two  ends.  This  became  our  meeting  place. 
Pine  tables  were  provided,  and  the  school,  which 
had  also  been  held  in  Good  Will  Cottage  was 
transferred  to  this  room.  It  was  my  plan  to  have 
the  first  floor  of  the  building  for  the  Good  Will 
Record,  and  so  we  named  the  structure  Record 
Hall.  Sunshine  Cottage  was  an  apology  for  a 
home — only  an  apology.  Record  Hall  was  a 
feeble  attempt  at  equipment  for  educational  and 
religious  work.  It  seems  almost  pathetic,  as  I 
think  of  it  now.  It  is  not  strange  if  some  people 
regarded  the  whole  thing  as  a  forlorn  hope,  as 
they  now  tell  me  they  did,  though  they  were  kind 
enough  in  those  days  not  to  express  their 
thoughts  to  me. 

"Sunshine  Cottage"  was  dedicated  on  Septem- 
ber I,  1890,  the  first  anniversary  of  the  opening 
of  Good  Will  Cottage.  At  the  dedicatory  ser- 
vice, in  which  the  37th  Psalm  was  read,  I  told 


53 


the  boys  that  one  year  from  that  day  we  would 
have  another  dedicatory  service. 

Soon  after,  a  fund  was  commenced  for  a  new 
cottage.  Contributions  came  mostly  in  very 
small  sums  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  in 
the  April  number  of  the  Boys'  Fund,  which,  in 
the  meantime  had  been  changed  to  the  Good  Will 
Record,  I  was  able  to  announce  $2,500  in  hand 
for  a  cottage.  It  was  built  by  contract,  named 
Golden  Rule  Cottage,  and  dedicated  September 
I,  1891.  The  37th  Psalm  was  read;  the  Dox- 
ology  was  sung. 

At  the  dedication  of  Golden  Rule  Cottage  I 
announced  that  one  year  from  that  day  there 
would  be  another  dedicatory  service.  I  had  no 
money  or  the  promise  of  money  for  a  building, 
any  more  than  I  had  the  year  before  for  Golden 
Rule  Cottage,  but  I  had  Psalm  37 :  5.  Now  it 
came  to  pass,  for  God  brought  it  to  pass,  that  the 
following  spring  a  farm  of  seventy  acres,  joining 
Good  Will  Farm  on  the  south  was  purchased. 
On  this  stood  a  one  story  farm  house.  Midsum- 
mer came,  and  there  was  no  prospect  of  a  dedica- 
tion September  i ;  but,  just  then,  the  legacy  of 
Mrs.  Susan  D.  Copeland,  about  $450,  was  paid, 
and  the  amount  used  in  making  the  one  story 

54 


farm  house  into  a  two-story  cottage,  and  on 
September  i,  it  was  dedicated.  The  37th  Psalm 
was  read;  the  Doxology  was  sung.  This  cot- 
tage, which  we  named  "Prospect"  could  not  be 
used  for  a  family,  as  we  needed  the  room  for 
offices,  school,  and  other  purposes. 

At  the  dedication  of  Prospect  Cottage  I 
announced  that  one  year  from  that  day,  there 
would  be  another  dedicatory  service.  There  was 
not  a  dollar  in  hand  for  building  purposes,  nor 
the  promise  of  a  dollar.  Nothing  but  Psalm 

37:5. 

The  M.  C.  R.  R.  consented  at  first  to  stop 
trains  at  Good  Will  Farm  when  there  were  three 
passengers  to  leave  or  board  the  train.  One  day 
as  I  took  the  train  a  man  said  to  me  "Mr.  C.  M. 
Bailey  of  Winthrop  is  in  the  next  car.  Do  you 
know  him  ?" 

"No,  I  do  not,"  I  replied. 

"Do  you  know  who  he  is,"  was  asked. 

"No,"  I  said,  "I  don't  think  I  do." 

"Well,  he's  a  man  who  could  build  you  a  cot- 
tage at  the  Farm,  if  he  chose,  and  he  ought  to 
do  it." 

"I  take  exceptions  to  a  part  of  your  statement," 
I  said. 

55 


"I  don't  doubt  that  he  is  able,  but  whether  he 
ought  to  do  it,  I  would  not  dare  to  say.  People 
tell  me  what  this  man  ought  to  do,  and  what  that 
man  ought  to  do  with  their  money.  It  is  not  my 
province  to  decide  what  such  men  ought  to  do. 
It  is  for  each  man  to  decide  for  himself.  I  know 
I  ought  to  be  here  ready  to  receive  gifts,  that's 
all  I  know  about  it." 

It  was  weeks  after  that,  when,  boarding  the 
train  again,  a  man  passed  me  on  the  platform  of 
the  car,  and  as  he  did  so  hastily  handed  me  a 
$5.00  bill.  "It's  for  the  work,"  he  said,  and  he 
disappeared  into  another  car,  saying  as  he  did 
so,  "You  needn't  mention  any  names." 

"Do  you  know  who  that  man  is,"  I  asked  of 
one  of  the  train  men.  He  replied,  "Yes,  he  is  Mr. 
C.  M.  Bailey  of  Winthrop." 

My  heart  gave  a  bound.  Mr.  Bailey's  heart 
had  been  touched,  but  through  no  appeal  or  word 
of  mine.  This  was  in  the  spring.  In  November 
of  that  year,  I  was  invited  to  preach  in  the 
Friends'  church,  at  Winthrop  Center,  and  was 
Mr.  Bailey's  guest.  He  asked  his  sons  and 
daughters  to  dine  with  us,  and  at  the  dinner  table 
in  their  presence,  told  me  that  I  might  build,  at 
his  expense,  at  Good  Will  a  home  for  fifteen  boys 

56 


to  be  known  as  Bailey  Cottage.  This  would 
relieve  Sunshine  Cottage,  as  it  was  the  plan  to 
transfer  the  seven  boys  there  to  the  new  home  as 
soon  as  it  could  be  completed,  and  Sunshine  Cot- 
tage would  then  be  held  for  a  hospital  in  case  of 
the  appearance  of  contagious  diseases. 

On  two  or  three  occasions  I  had  met  Mr.  H.  H. 
Fogg  of  Bangor,  Me.  He  was  a  large  hearted, 
sympathetic  man  to  whom  a  work  like  that  pro- 
posed for  boys  would  strongly  appeal.  Our  few 
meetings  had  been  happy,  and  I  felt  that  in  Mr. 
Fogg,  I  had  a  real  friend.  I  was  asked  repeat- 
edly by  acquaintances  if  Mr.  Fogg  had  ever  aided 
the  project  for  helping  poor  boys.  If  I  replied 
in  the  negative  it  was  quite  probable  that  the 
inquirer  would  say,  "Well,  he  ought  to,"  and  I 
would  as  promptly  reply  that  it  was  for  Mr. 
Fogg  to  decide ;  that  I  had  no  right  to  say  who 
ought,  and  who  ought  not  to  assist.  "Ought"  is 
a  strong  word — it  expresses  duty.  I  could  not 
have  been  persuaded  to  say  anything  to  Mr. 
Fogg  about  building  a  cottage  at  the  Farm. 

In  the  first  place  I  felt  it  was  quite  safe  to 
leave  the  man's  personal  matters  in  his  own 
hands;  in  the  second  place,  I  shrunk  from  any 
course  which  might  result  in  a  change  of  rela- 

57 


tions  becween  us.  If  I  should  ask  him  to  build 
a  cottage  and  he  should  consent  to  do  it,  how 
would  I  ever  know  that  he  had  done  it  because 
he  wanted  to,  and  not  simply  because  I  asked 
him.  I  would  feel  that  he  had  done  something 
upon  my  solicitation  which  possibly  his  own 
judgment  might  not  approve.  If  I  should  ask 
him  and  he  should  refuse,  I  could  never  meet 
him  without  thinking  of  it,  and  fancying  also, 
that  thoughts  of  the  same  incident  were  in  his 
heart.  Money  seems  to  be  a  necessity  in  this 
world;  and  money  was  needed  for  the  work  in 
hand,  but  I  have  always  placed  friendship  above 
money.  I  would  rather  lose  money  than 
friends.  To  be  penniless  is  less  of  a  misfortune 
than  to  be  friendless.  I  could  not  afford  to  sac- 
rifice friendship  for  money,  or  for  a  cottage. 
Perhaps  in  those  days  I  was  abnormally  sensi- 
tive. It  may  have  been  easier  for  Mr.  Fogg  to 
say  "no"  to  an  appeal  for  a  cottage  than  I  imag- 
ined ;  but  this  is  a  statement  of  my  views  at  that 
time. 

Mr.  Bailey's  gift  came  in  November.  In  the 
following  January  Mr.  Fogg  met  me  one  morn- 
ing in  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  of  Bangor,  Me., 
and  gave  a  check  for  $2,500  for  a  cottage.  This 

58 


gift  was  afterwards  increased  to  $3,000  dollars. 
Fogg  Cottage  was  dedicated  September  i,  1893, 
at  eleven  o'clock,  the  same  hour  of  the  dedication 
of  Bailey  Cottage.  A  business  man  told  me  that 
several  weeks  after  the  gift  was  announced  he 
met  Mr.  Fogg,  and  congratulated  him  upon  what 
he  had  done,  whereupon,  Mr.  Fogg  remarked : 
"I  like  sometimes  to  help  people  who  don't  ask 
me  for  anything.  Hinckley  never  asked  me  for 
a  cent  in  his  life."  It  was  true  that  I  had  not 
asked  him,  but  I  had  been  begging  daily, — 
begging  the  divine  spirit  to  prompt  the  gift  that 
came.  Whatever  may  happen  in  the  future,  the 
two  cottages  dedicated  on  that  September  day 
are  and  will  be,  as  long  as  they  stand,  silent  testi- 
monies to  the  truthfulness  of  promises  in  God's 
word  regarding  the  efficacy  of  prayer. 


59 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Some  of  the  greatest  successes  in  life  are  based 
on  temporary  failure.  Some  of  the  happiest 
experiences  are  the  fruit  of  disappointment.  It 
is  the  opinion  of  many  friends  of  Good  Will  that 
her  history  has  been  an  uninterrupted  success  and 
development.  So  it  has  to  the  present ;  but  there 
have  been  events  which  looked  like  failure  for  a 
time. 

The  opening  of  two  new  cottages — Fogg  and 
Bailey — on  Seotember  i,  1893,  added  thirty  boys 
to  the  little  community,  and  Prospect  Cottage, 
where  school  was  held,  became  crowded.  The 
desks  were  on  the  second  floor,  but  the  scholars 
studied  and  recited  where  they  could.  Some- 
times a  couple  of  diligent  students  might  be 
found  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway,  trying  to  solve 
some  problem  or  commit  a  lesson.  Large  classes 
recited  daily  in  the  hall-way  on  the  second  floor. 
Fears  were  entertained  that  evil  might  result 
from  foul  air;  but  by  paying  much  attention  to 
ventilation,  sickness  or  any  other  ill  was  avoided. 

60 


But  the  need  of  a  school  building  was  great.  I 
lived  in  a  state  of  expectancy ;  and  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  affirm  that  such  a  building  was  "on  the 


way." 


One  day  an  interesting  proposition  and  one 
which  met  with  very  general  approval  was  made. 
A  commercial  traveler  proposed  that  the  numer- 
ous class  to  which  he  belonged  raise  a  fund,  and 
build  a  school  building  at  Good  Will  Farm.  A 
meeting  of  commercial  travelers  was  called  at  a 
Portland  hotel,  and  I  accepted  an  invitation  to 
be  present,  and  made  a  statement  of  the  plan  and 
purpose  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  the 
need  of  a  school  building,  and  answered  ques- 
tions. The  reception  accorded  me  was  most 
cordial,  and  the  statements  seemed  to  be  satis- 
factory. An  organization  was  effected;  and,  at 
that  time  or  later,  it  was  decided  to  build  a  school 
building  at  a  cost  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  which 
should  accommodate  one  hundred  scholars,  and 
provide  for  both  mental  and  manual  training. 
Another  meeting  was  subsequently  held  in  Ban- 
gor,  which  I  also  attended  upon  invitation.  This 
was  not  well  attended,  and  there  were  signs  of 
weakening. 


61 


While  it  was  intended  that  the  project  should 
be  aided  by  the  commercial  travelers  of  New 
England,  it  was  early  announced  that  for  some 
reason  the  White  Mountain  Division  did  not 
propose  to  co-operate.  I  had  understood  that 
the  commercial  travelers  were  to  raise  the  money, 
but  I  was  troubled  by  reports  that  hotel  keepers 
were  to  be  assessed  in  behalf  of  the  project ;  that 
wholesale  houses  were  to  be  called  upon,  and  that 
various  other  schemes  were  proposed.  I  was 
exceedingly  desirous  that  all  that  was  done  for 
Good  Will  by  whatever  party  or  organization,  be 
done  freely  and  gladly.  I  was  as  opposed  to 
collecting  from  unwilling  contributors  as  I  was 
to  making  every  taxpayer  in  the  State  a  contrib- 
utor to  the  work — nolens,  volens — by  accepting 
a  State  appropriation. 

Plans  for  a  building  were  prepared  by  an 
architect ;  several  hundred  dollars  were  collected ; 
a  quarry  at  Good  Will  Farm  was  opened,  and, 
as  I  understood  it,  about  four  hundred  dollars 
were  spent  in  getting  out  foundation  stones,  and 
hauling  them  to  the  selected  site.  One  day  two 
commercial  travelers  visited  the  Farm  and  told 
me  that  work  on  the  excavation  was  to  begin  the 
following  Monday.  I  was  surprised  at  this,  and 

62 


FOGG   COTTAGE 


BAILEY  COTTAGE 


inquired  how  much  money  had  been  raised.  I 
learned  that  the  funds  received  amounted  to 
about  a  thousand  dollars.  The  men  took  the 
ground  that  the  first  thousand  having  been  raised, 
the  other  nine  thousand  would  come  much  easier. 
I  had  to  tell  them  that  the  theory  was  wrong; 
that  the  first  one  thousand  was  always  the  easiest 
to  raise ;  that  it  had  taken  nearly  a  year  to  secure 
the  first  thousand ;  it  would  take  much  longer  to 
raise  any  one  of  the  other  nine  thousand  dollars ; 
that  the  commercial  travelers  of  New  England 
could  not  afford  to  have  a  half  completed  build- 
ing at  Good  Will  or  elsewhere ;  and  finally  that 
they  would  not  be  allowed  to  commence  the 
building-  until  they  knew  it  could  be  completed 
within  a  reasonable  time. 

"How  long  a  time?"  one  of  the  men  inquired. 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  I  replied,  "it  might 
be  six  months,  or  a  year,  or  more;  but  it  must 
be  some  definite  time." 

I  could  not  learn  that  any  contract  had  been 
made  with  any  builder.  If  it  had  been,  of  course 
there  would  have  been  a  time  specified  for  the 
completion  of  the  building.  My  experience  in 
building  had  not  been  extensive,  but  I  had  twice 
tried  to  contract  for  the  completion  of  a  three 

63 


thousand  dollar  cottage  in  three  months,  and  in 
neither  case  could  I  find  a  contractor  who  would 
agree  to  it ;  and  of  course  I  knew  that  a  reason- 
able time  must  be  allowed  for  the  completion  of 
a  ten  thousand  dollar  brick  structure.  The  time 
limit  was  not  the  subject  of  my  contention.  It 
was  essential  that  the  building  be  completed 
sometime,  and  within  a  reasonable  limit.  If  the 
$10,000  was  not  raised  within  a  year  it  could 
never  be. 

A  few  days  later  a  letter  was  sent  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Commercial  Travelers'  Organization, 
signed  by  two  men.  The  letter  read  as  follows : 

Office  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Good  Will  Farm 

Industrial  Building  Association. 

WATERVILLE,  October  16,  1893. 

Dear  Sir:     While    in  Waterville    Thursday, 

July  2Oth,  in  company  with  I  visited 

Good  Will  Farm  to  look  over  the  site  for  our 
Industrial  Building,  and  while  there  we  were 
informed  by  Mr.  Hinckley  the  Association  did 
not  purpose  to  let  us  commence  on  the  building 
until  we  could  guarantee  the  completion  of  it, 
and  expressed  his  idea  that  we  should  complete 


64 


it  in  three  months,  and  if  we  were  going  to  build 
it  they  wanted  us  to  do  it  before  January  i,  1894. 

He,  Mr.  Hinckley,  also  informed  us  he  thought 
the  traveling  men  had  done  Good  Will  Farm 
more  harm  than  good  and  he  would  advise  us  to 
abandon  the  idea  of  building.  The  stone  for  the 
foundation  (which  we  got  out  last  winter)  he 
also  said  was  an  eye  sore  to  him  and  he  had 
wished  many  times  it  had  never  been  placed 
there. 

He  continued  by  saying  the  Association 
objected  to  the  traveling  men  soliciting  subscrip- 
tions from  any  one  but  traveling  men. 

At  their  annual  meeting  in  July  they  appointed 
a  committee  to  confer  with  us  and  also  gave 
them  power  to  stop  us  from  commencing  on  the 
building  until  we  would  guarantee  to  complete  it 
in  so  long  a  time,  but  this  committee  has  never 
given  us  any  notice  of  their  appointment  on  the 
work  for  which  they  were  appointed,  and  by 
mere  chance  we  were  made  known  of  the  facts. 

Our  building  committee  had  let  the  contract 
for  the  foundation  and  the  Monday  following 
Thursday  (the  day  we  were  there)  workmen 
would  have  been  there  to  go  to  work,  but  they 
would  have  been  refused.  Now  my  object  in 

65 


placing  these  facts  before  you  is  this.  The  only 
thing  left  for  us  to  do  according  to  my  ideas  is 
to  have  a  meeting  of  our  committee,  settle  up  all 
of  our  accounts,  return  what  money  we  have 
collected,  and  bid  adieu  to  Good  Will  Farm  Asso- 
ciation. When  and  where  will  it  be  convenient 
for  you  to  attend  such  a  meeting?  Awaiting 
your  reply,  I  am 

Your  obedient  servant. 


This  strange  letter  purported  to  be  signed  by 
the  president  and  secretary  of  the  organization. 

Several  weeks  later  I  learned  that  a  meeting 
was  to  be  called  at  a  Portland  hotel  to  adjust 
matters.  I  notified  the  secretary  that  I  wished 
to  be  present,  and  make  a  statement,  as  I  had 
been  present  at  the  first  meeting.  I  was  not 
notified  of  the  date  of  the  meeting,  or  of  the  out- 
come of  it.  Many  friends  regretted  the  failure 
of  this  project ;  but  I  could  see  no  cause  for  sad- 
ness or  regret.  I  was  satisfied  that  the  school 
building  was  to  be.  It  would  come  in  God's 
time,  and  in  his  way. 

Not  long  after  the  failure  of  the  commercial 
travelers'  project,  I  received  a  letter  from  the 
office  of  Harper  Bros.,  publishers  of  New  York 

66 


HON.    E.    vS.    CONVERSE. 


City.  The  editor  of  the  Round  Table  Depart- 
ment of  Harper's  Young  People  (afterwards 
changed  to  Harper's  Round  Table)  inquired  in 
his  letter  if  I  would  like  to  have  the  Knights  of 
the  Round  Table,  an  organization  consisting  of 
readers  of  the  "Young  People" — raise  money 
and  build  a  school  building  for  Good  Will  boys. 
I  thought  I  was  prepared  for  almost  anything; 
but  this  letter  surprised  me.  It  suggested  great 
possibilities.  The  prestige  which  the  endorse- 
ment of  a  great  publishing  house,  like  that  of 
Harper  Bros,  would  give  Good  Will ;  the  amount 
of  advertising  which  would  result  for  the  Homes 
from  the  carrying  out  of  such  a  scheme;  the 
multitude  of  friends  likely  to  be  secured  in  all 
parts  of  the  country ;  these  considerations  seemed 
weighty  indeed,  aside  from  the  school  building 
itself. 

I  assured  the  writer  of  the  letter  that  his  plan 
was  very  acceptable;  and  waited  with  patience 
for  the  first  announcement  in  the  pages  of  Har- 
per's Young  People.  It  came  in  due  time  and 
the  Knights  of  the  Round  Table  began  to  secure 
subscriptions  to  Harper's  Round  Table,  each  new 
subscription  netting  the  building  fund  fifty  cents. 
The  idea  took.  There  was  evidence  of  consider- 


able  enthusiasm.  After  a  time  the  Knights  began 
to  give  entertainments,  and  hold  fairs  in  behalf 
of  the  Good  Will  school  building.  Then  a  great 
fair  was  proposed  for  New  York  City.  It  was 
to  be  held  at  Sherry's — at  the  corner  of  37th 
street  and  Fifth  avenue.  Articles  were  to  be  sent 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  for  sale ;  there  were 
to  be  exhibits  from  various  manual  training 
schools ;  an  authors'  reception ;  a  concert  by 
Princeton  College  Glee  Club,  and  various  other 
attractions.  I  arrived  in  New  York  City  on  the 
morning  of  the  opening  day  of  the  fair,  and  went 
to  Sherry's  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  nearly  time 
for  the  opening.  I  was  dismayed  for  I  could 
not  see  how  anything  good  could  come  out  of 
the  confusion,  and  apparent  lack  of  organization. 
In  some  way  the  program  was  carried  out ;  but 
I  could  see  that  the  building  project  was  doomed. 
In  one  of  the  rooms  at  Sherry's  there  was  an 
excellent  water  color  sketch  of  the  proposed 
building — a  building  the  very  plan  of  which  was 
a  disappointment.  In  the  same  room  was  a  copy 
of  Queen  Wilhelmina's  certificate  of  membership 
in  the  Knights  of  the  Round  Table. 

The  New  York    Sun  of    December  7    said: 
"The   authors'   circus,  which    is  to    be    opened 

68 


tomorrow,  will  certainly  be  worth  the  admission 
fee.  Nearly  a  hundred  of  our  most  renowned 
literary  characters,  women  and  men,  have  prom- 
ised to  appear  for  three  days,  in  the  afternoon, 
at  the  "Round  Table"  at  Sherry's  place  for  a 
charitable  purpose.  Ticket  holders  will  not  only 
be  permitted  to  look  at  them,  but  will  be  intro- 
duced to  any  one  of  them  who  desires  to  form 
new  acquaintances.  Think  of  seeing  the  author 
of  a  favorite  poem,  a  thrilling  bit  of  fiction,  a 
solid  piece  of  biography !  The  list  of  the  names 
of  the  authors  who  have  accepted  an  invitation 
to  appear  at  the  Round  Table  is  very  attractive. 
We  believe  there  have  been  small  things  of  the 
kind  before,  but  this  week's  spectacle  will  be  of 
unequalled  magnitude  if  the  programme  is  car- 
ried out.  It  is  fully  justified  by  its  worthy 
object." 

The  authors'  reception  was  well  attended, 
many  of  the  best  known  names  in  literature  being 
present  but  the  endorsement  of  Harper  Bros. ; 
the  membership  of  Queen  Wilhelmina ;  the  friend- 
liness of  a  galaxy  of  authors  was  not  enough  to 
insure  the  school  building.  It  became  necessary 
for  me  to  watch  and  wait.  Again  there  was 
great  disappointment;  but  it  was  in  the  hearts 

69 


only  of  friends  of  the  Homes,  who  did  not  under- 
stand the  details.  The  fact  that  Good  Will  had 
been  selected  as  a  popular  object  to  aid,  and  was 
being  used  simply  in  an  effort  to  increase  the 
circulation  and  popularity  of  a  New  York  young 
people's  publication,  in  the  New  England  States, 
was  not  referred  to  in  public  by  me ;  and  few  if 
any  understood  the  episode.  The  publication 
referred  to  was  afterwards  discontinued.  Occa- 
sionally the  questions  are  asked  "What  became 
of  the  Commercial  Travelers'  Building  Fund?" 
and  "What  became  of  the  Round  Table  Fund?" 
The  sum  of  $1,500  invested  as  the  Harper's 
Round  Table  Library  Fund,  and  a  section  of  the 
Good  Will  Library,  consisting  largely  of  volumes 
published  by  Harper  Bros.,  and  a  brass  tablet 
over  that  section  answers  both  questions.  The 
tablet  says : 

HARPER'S  ROUND  TABLE  LIBRARY. 
THIS  LIBRARY  WAS  PURCHASED  AND  IS  MAIN- 
TAINED WITH  MONEY  CONTRIBUTED  BY  THE  SUB- 
SCRIBERS TO  HARPER'S  ROUND  TABLE,  WITH  THE 

ASSISTANCE  OF  THE  COMMERCIAL  TRAVELERS' 
ASSOCIATION  OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

At  the  State  convention  of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E. 
of  Maine,  held  in  Bangor  in  1893,  Mr.  V.  Rich- 
ard Foss,  president  of  the  convention  and  at  that 
time  a  trustee  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Associa- 
tion, proposed  that  the  Endeavorers  of  the  State 
raise  funds  for  the  building  of  another  cottage 
for  fifteen  boys — this  new  home  to  be  called 
Christian  Endeavor  Cottage.  A  committee  was 
appointed,  and  the  work  of  raising  the  money 
began.  The  first  gift  was  a  dime  sent  by  an 
Endeavorer  of  Hampden  Center.  Each  month 
the  Good  Will  Record  reported  progress ;  and  on 
the  first  page  of  the  April  number,  1894,  were 
these  words : 

SUCCESS! 

ENDEAVOR    COTTAGE    ASSURED.      THE    FUND    NOT 
QUITE    COMPLETE. 

The  statement  which  followed  showed  that  the 
C.  E.  Cottage  fund  stood  at  $2,130.77.  This  was 
afterwards  increased.  April  fourth  workmen 


began  excavation  for  the  foundations.  Each 
year  since  the  opening  of  Good  Will  Cottage 
there  had  been  a  dedicatory  service  at  the  Farm 
on  September  ist,  the  anniversary  of  that  event. 
The  order  was  thus:  Sunshine  Cottage  Sep- 
tember i,  '90;  Golden  Rule  Cottage  September 
I,  '91 ;  Prospect  Cottage  September  I,  '92;  Fogg 
Cottage  and  Bailey  Cottage  September,  '93,  and 
it  was  planned  that  C.  E.  Cottage  should  be 
dedicated  on  the  anniversary  day.  But  in  order 
to  accommodate  the  Endeavorers  who  would  be 
returning  from  their  annual  convention,  it  was 
decided  to  have  the  exercises  on  the  last  day 
of  August.  One  hundred  and  ten  Endeavorers 
arrived  on  the  morning  train. 

At  each  dedicatory  service  the  thirty-seventh 
Psalm  had  been  read.  The  custom  was  honored, 
and  still  holds  at  all  services  of  the  kind  at  Good 
Will.  We  had  added  a  cottage  to  the  equip- 
ment, but  the  number  of  cottages  remained 
unchanged.  Little  Sunshine  Cottage  was  burned 
to  the  ground  on  August  loth,  about  three  weeks 
before  the  dedication  of  C.  E.  Cottage,  and  with 
it  went  Record  Hall. 


72 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

NEW   HELPERS. 

In  1891  the  Christian  Union  (now  the  Out- 
look) gave  considerable  space  in  its  columns  to 
the  Burnham  Industrial  Farm,  now  the  Berkshire 
Industrial  Farm,  at  Canaan  Four  Corners,  N.  Y. 
I  was  glad  to  have  that  excellent  institution 
brought  before  so  large  a  number  of  intelligent 
and  benevolent  people,  and  I  read  all  the  items  in 
the  Union  regarding  it.  In  one  issue  there 
appeared  a  letter  from  Rev.  T.  E.  Busfield,  pastor 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Bangor,  Me.  It 
was  an  excellently  written  letter,  but  the  first 
few  sentences  caused  me  to  groan  in  spirit.  I 
could  not  take  exceptions  to  what  Mr.  Busfield 
said,  and  I  was  deeply  touched  by  the  knowledge 
that,  without  any  suggestion  from  me,  he  had 
written  in  Good  Will's  behalf.  What  troubled 
me  was  the  way  the  first  few  sentences  of  his 
letter  brought  Good  Will  into  competition  with 
the  Burnham  Industrial  Farm.  If  he  had  shown 
the  letter  to  me  I  would  have  begged  him  not  to 

73 


send  it ;  or  the  editor  not  to  publish  it.  But  that 
single  epistle  accomplished  more  for  Good  Will 
eventually  than  all  the  columns  I  had  written. 

It  happened  that  a  benevolent  lady  in  Stam- 
ford, Conn.,  was  greatly  exercised  about  two 
imperilled  boys  in  that  city.  She  sat  on  a  veran- 
dah one  afternoon,  the  burning  question  being, 
"What  can  I  do  for  those  boys?"  While  she 
still  pondered,  her  mail  was  brought  to  her,  and 
a  part  of  the  parcel  was  that  week's  issue  of  the 
Christian  Union.  "As  I  live,"  she  exclaimed,  "I 
believe  that's  the  place  for  those  two  boys,"  and 
she  proceeded  to  write  me  a  letter  in  their  behalf. 
She  had  never  heard  of  Good  Will  Farm  before, 
and  her  only  knowledge  of  it  now  was  Mr.  Bus- 
field's  letter.  In  the  course  of  time  the  boys 
were  accepted  and  arrived  at  Good  Will.  They 
were  like  other  boys  and  soon  adjusted  them- 
selves to  their  new  surroundings.  The  first 
result  of  Mr.  Busfield's  letter,  therefore,  was  a 
home  for  two  boys  from  Connecticut.  It  was 
natural  that  others  should  hear  of  the  new  home 
for  boys  to  which  the  two  Stamford  lads  had  been 
sent. 

One  day  I  received  a  letter  from  a  Stamford 
lady  asking  if  I  would  come  to  that  place  and  tell 

74 


the  story  of  Good  Will  Farm  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  I  replied  in  the  affirmative  and  the 
date  was  fixed.  The  trip  from  East  Fairfield, 
Me.,  to  Stamford,  Conn.,  was  to  be  made  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  the  address.  After  leaving 
Boston,  Mass.,  on  my  way  to  Stamford  it 
occurred  to  me  that  I  was  making  a  long  journey 
in  order  to  speak  in  a  church,  and  I  had  received 
no  invitation  from  the  pastor.  The  invitation 
from  a  lady  whom  I  had  never  met,  and  whom 
I  knew  only  by  the  letters  which  she  had  written 
about  the  address  was  the  only  reason  for  my 
appearing  in  Stamford.  In  accepting  that  invi- 
tation I  had  inferred  that  the  pastor  of  the  church 
would  write  me,  but  he  had  not  done  it.  I  had 
no  means  of  ascertaining  whether  I  would  be 
welcome  in  the  Presbyterian  pulpit ;  nor  could  I 
in  any  way  at  that  stage  of  proceedings  learn 
anything  about  the  woman  who  had  invited  me. 
I  was  hurrying  along  at  the  rate  of  forty-five 
miles  an  hour  toward  an  appointment  for  Sun- 
day morning.  Why  did  I  start  on  such  a  trip? 
What  stupidity  not  to  have  waited  until  I  had 
received  some  word  from  a  church  official ! 

The  only  thing  to  do  under  the  circumstances 
was  to  let  the  train  proceed  on  its  way,  and  I 

75 


would  try  and  ascertain  on  reaching  Stamford, 
why  I  was  there.  When  the  station  was  reached, 
I  decided  to  call  at  the  house  of  my  correspondent 
empty  handed.  I  could  easily  determine  in  a 
few  minutes  after  reaching  the  house  whether  I 
had  made  a  vain  journey.  I  rang  the  bell  with 
strange  misgivings,  but  a  moment  later  received 
a  welcome  which  quite  relieved  me  of  all  doubt. 
I  was  obliged  to  confess  to  my  host  and  hostess 
the  doubt  I  had  entertained  and  the  misgivings 
which  led  me  to  leave  my  baggage  at  the  station 
till  I  could  spy  out  the  land.  The  information 
that  Rev.  Dr.  Vail,  the  pastor,  and  Mr.  Walter 
M.  Smith,  one  of  the  officials  of  the  church,  were 
to  call  on  me  in  the  evening  was  reassuring. 
Not  long  after  the  evening  meal  the  two  gentle- 
men arrived,  and  after  a  brief  interview  in  which 
arrangements  for  the  service  the  next  day  were 
completed,  the  callers  were  asked  into  another 
room.  But  Mr.  Smith  soon  returned  and  mani- 
fested deep  interest  in  the  work  which  I  judged 
was  new  to  him.  He  seemed  to  be  specially 
interested  in  the  boys'  summer  camp,  and  after 
asking  several  questions  he  said  "I  should  think 
you  would  need  a  good  many  blankets  for  the 
encampment." 


"We  do,"  I  replied. 

"What  do  you  do  for  blankets"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  we  do  the  best  we  can,"  I  answered,  "and 
get  along  comfortably." 

"But  I  should  think  you  would  need  a  good 
many  blankets,"  he  repeated. 

"Yes,  we  do,  but  we  use  old  blankets,  and 
quilts  the  worse  for  wear,  and  get  along  as  well 
as  we  can,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  if  seventy-five  pairs  of  new  blankets 
will  do  you  any  good,  I  will  order  them  shipped 
to  you  Monday." 

I  was  facing  a  new  friend  of  Good  Will — great 
hearted  and  strong, — whose  influence  in  my  own 
life,  and  in  the  history  of  the  work  was  to  be 
felt  beyond  that  of  any  living  person.  These 
blankets  for  the  boys'  camp  were  his  first  gift. 
Of  course  I  did  not  foresee  that  evening  how 
great  was  to  be  Mr.  Smith's  influence,  or  how 
strong  was  to  be  his  friendship,  any  more  than 
I  could  foresee  this  first  gift  to  the  work.  The 
next  day  the  "Story  of  Good  Will  Farm"  was 
told  in  the  Presbyterian  pulpit  just  as  it  had  been 
told  in  a  score  of  other  places.  I  had  sowed.  It 
was  for  God  to  give  the  increase. 


77 


Months  later  when  Mr.  Smith  made  his  first 
visit  to  East  Fairfield  he  seemed  to  be  as  deeply 
impressed  with  the  possibilities  of  the  place  as 
had  Mr.  Quincy,  whose  sudden  death  occurred 
just  after  my  Stamford  trip. 

On  my  second  visit  to  Stamford  I  was  invited 
to  preach  at  the  regular  morning  service  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  Nothing  had  been  said  in 
the  sermon  about  Good  Will  Farm,  or  benevolent 
work.  Mr.  Thos.  W.  Hall  met  me  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs,  and  asked  to  speak  to  me.  He 
explained  that  he  had  a  good  mother,  to  whose 
counsel  and  prayers  he  owed  his  success  in  life, 
and  he  commissioned  me  to  build  a  cottage  in  her 
memory  to  be  known  as  Mary  Louisa  Hall  Cot- 
tage. In  the  hall  of  this  cottage  are  two  objects 
of  interest,  viz :  A  memorial  window,  and  a  plain 
ash  case,  with  a  glass  front.  The  window  is 
inscribed  with  these  words : 

To  THE  MEMORY  OF  A  GOOD  MOTHER, 

MARY  LOUISA  HALL, 

SKANEATELES,  N.  Y. 

The  emblems  are  two  torches  representing 
"Wisdom"  and  "Knowledge,"  and  a  wreath  of 
laurel  significant  of  a  triumphant  life. 

78 


MISS   FRANCES   E.    MOODY. 


When  Mr.  Hall  was  eighteen  years  old  he  left 
the  home  and  his  mother  in  Skaneateles,  N.  Y., 
and  started  out  in  life  to  win.  Fourteen  years 
later,  just  after  his  mother's  funeral  he  discov- 
ered that  when  he  left  home,  she  had  taken  the 
garments  he  wore  on  the  farm — garments  of 
faded  blue  cotton — washed  and  ironed  them,  tied 
them  with  a  bit  of  white  ribbon  and  labeled  them, 

TOM'S  DRESS  SUIT. 

Mr.  Hall  took  the  garments  to  his  home  in 
Connecticut  and  cherished  them  there.  When 
he  came  to  Good  Will  to  attend  the  dedication  of 
the  cottage,  he  brought  the  garments  with  him ; 
at  his  request  they  are  in  the  case  in  the  front 
hall,  a  silent  reminder  of  the  depth  and  potency 
of  mother-love,  and  an  evidence  of  noble  son- 
ship.  They  are  still  marked,  "Tom's  dress  suit." 

Marv  Louisa  Hall  Cottage  was  dedicated 
December  31,  '95.  The  thirty-seventh  Psalm 
was  read. 


79 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Our  school  had  been  accommodated  in  the 
chambers  of  Prospect  Cottage.  The  narrow 
entry  was  sometimes  used  for  a  recitation  room. 
Lessons  were  occasionally  prepared  by  young 
students  sitting  on  the  front  stairs.  We  feared 
disaster  from  overcrowding ;  but  by  paying  con- 
stant attention  to  ventilation  we  escaped.  We 
felt  confident  that  a  school  building  would  be 
provided.  The  commercial  travelers'  plan  for  a 
building  had  failed — a  building  which  was  to 
have  accommodated  one  hundred  scholars.  We 
already  had  over  ninety  scholars,  and  prospects 
of  growth.  The  letter  from  the  commercial 
travelers'  committee  advising  abandonment  of  all 
effort,  and  a  return  of  the  money  which  had  been 
collected  was  dated  October  16,  '93.  I  think 
their  final  meeting  was  held  several  weeks  later. 

In  February,  '94,  I  received  a  letter  from  Miss 
Mary  D.  Moody  of  Bath,  Me.,  requesting  me  to 
call  at  her  home,  and  stating  that  she  wished  to 
ask  some  questions.  In  this  request  she  was 

80 


joined  by  her  sister,  Miss  Frances  E.  Moody. 
The  writer  of  the  letter  and  her  sister  were 
unknown  to  me.  I  had  not  heard  of  Mr.  Charles 
E.  Moody,  their  brother,  to  whom  the  letter 
referred.  But  I  responded  to  the  invitation  and 
went  to  Bath,  and  to  the  Charles  E.  Moody  estate. 
Here  I  met  two  sisters — rare  Christian  char- 
acters. Their  life  had  been  full  of  sweet  experi- 
ences ;  and  in  every  thing  they  had  enjoyed  the 
sympathy  and  counsel  of  their  brother,  who, 
though  in  business  in  Boston,  regarded  the  old 
homestead  in  Bath  his  legal  residence,  and  his 
real  home.  Mr.  Moody  with  his  younger  sister, 
Miss  Frances  E.  Moody,  had  visited  the  Colum- 
bian Exposition,  and  on  their  way  home,  he  had 
been  seized  with  fatal  illness  and  died  in  Detroit, 
Michigan.  His  death  was  a  crushing  blow  to 
the  sisters.  Their  first  impulse  was  to  give 
themselves  up  to  the  great  sorrow.  Life  had 
lost  much  of  its  meaning  for  them.  But  in  their 
soul  was  a  desire  to  carry  out,  if  possible,  some 
of  the  brother's  benevolent  plans.  Mr.  Moody 
had  expressed  his  faith  in  the  work  at  Good 
Will;  and  without  doubt  it  was  his  purpose  to 
aid  it.  They  wished  to  do  that  which  would 
meet  the  brother's  approval  were  he  living. 

81 


The  April,  '94,  issue  of  the  Good  Will  Record 
announced  the  gift  of  a  school  building.  The 
names  of  the  donors  at  their  earnest  request  were 
for  a  time  withheld  from  the  public ;  but  it  was 
stated  that  the  gift  was  unconditional,  except  that 
it  was  to  be  "a  fine  building,  constructed  after 
the  most  approved  modern  principles  in  every 
respect,  a  building  that  shall  give  satisfaction  in 
future  years,  as  well  as  at  the  present  time." 

Ground  was  broken  for  the  Charles  E.  Moody 
Building  July  4,  '94;  the  corner  stone  was  laid 
June  27,  '95;  it  was  dedicated  January  I,  '96. 
On  each  of  these  occasions,  the  thirty-seventh 
Psalm  was  read.  God  had  again  brought  to 
pass. 

There  was  a  feeling  of  sadness  through  the 
services  of  dedication  occasioned  by  the  absence 
of  Miss  Mary  D.  Moody,  who  had  greatly  longed 
to  see  the  building  dedicated.  She  died  Novem- 
ber, '95,  nearly  two  months  before  the  dedicatory 
exercises  took  place.  Mr.  Elmer  I.  Thomas,  the 
gifted  young  architect,  who  drew  the  plans  for 
the  building,  died  on  the  day  it  was  dedicated. 


82 


CHAPTER  X. 

There  was  a  definite  plan  at  Good  Will.  It 
was  gradually  unfolding.  To  have  announced 
it  in  full  when  the  first  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  acres  was  purchased  at  East  Fairfield 
for  boys,  would  have  brought  ridicule  upon  the 
whole  project.  Talking  with  a  farmer  in  the 
neighborhood,  after  the  work  had  been  in  prog- 
ress six  or  seven  years,  I  said: 

"WTiat  would  you  people  have  said  when  the 
first  purchase  for  this  undertaking  was  made,  if 
I  had  predicted  that  at  this  time  there  would  be 
these  buildings  here,  and  nearly  a  hundred  boys 
in  them." 

"We  would  have  said  you  were  out  of  your 
head — that  you  were  crazy,"  was  the  prompt 
reply. 

The  changes  which  took  place  would  have  been 
simple  and  trifling  indeed  if  the  one  who  inaug- 
urated them  had  possessed  wealth  ;  but  the  people 
understood  my  own  poverty,  and  could  not 
understand  the  rest.  I  had  nothing ;  they  did  not 

83 


understand  that  it  was  God  who  was  bringing 
to  pass. 

A  noted  preacher  of  Scotland  exclaimed  in  my 
hearing  on  one  occasion : 

"What  is  that  in  thy  hand?" 

"Nothing." 

"Nothing?  Oh !  that  is  the  stuff  out  of  which 
God  makes  worlds." 

With  nothing  of  my  own  available;  and  with 
Psalm  37 :  5  always  before  me  it  was  easy  to 
believe.  But  there  were  some  things  I  did  not 
want  to  do.  I  did  want  to  establish  a  similar 
work  for  girls.  I  did  not  want  to  begin  in  such 
a  small  way  as  the  boys'  project  had  been  under- 
taken. 

A  mile  from  Good  Will  was  a  farm  which  in 
my  judgment  ought  to  be  devoted  to  work  for 
girls,  and  made  the  foundation  for  homes  and 
school  for  them.  In  the  event  of  such  an  under- 
taking the  farm  north  of  Good  Will  would  be 
needed  as  the  site  for  a  chapel.  While  the  boys 
and  girls  would  then  be  in  separate  homes  and 
schools,  they  could  attend  the  same  religious  ser- 
vices, and  could  meet  in  various  social  gather- 
ings. 


In  reply  to  the  question  frequently  asked, 
"Why  do  you  not  undertake  a  similar  work  for 
girls?"  I  had  this  uniform  reply:  "I  am  will- 
ing to  undertake  a  similar  work  for  girls  when- 
ever anyone  will  come  forward  with  $10,000  or 
even  $5,000  as  a  beginning.  I  do  not  propose 
to  start  with  a  paltry  twenty  dollars  as  I  did  in 
the  boys'  case,  and  wait  years  for  it  to  grow." 

But  the  $10,000  did  not  come  for  the  girls. 
The  $5,000  did  not  materialize.  But  something 
came  to  pass.  Much  of  the  work  in  the  boys' 
homes  is  done  by  the  smaller  boys  themselves. 
With  other  duties  they  wash  and  "wipe  the  dishes. 
It  has  been  the  rule  for  years  that  if  a  boy  washes 
or  wipes  dishes  two  weeks  in  succession  without 
breaking  a  dish  he  shall  receive  five  cents.  This 
money  is  not  wages,  it  is  a  reward  for  careful- 
ness. As  a  matter  of  fact  these  nickels  are  about 
all  the  money  some  of  the  boys  see  from  January 
to  December;  and  what  use  they  shall  make  of 
the  money  when  it  arrives  is  sometimes  a  matter 
of  much  thought  on  the  boys'  part. 

On  the  tenth  of  November,  '94,  a  small  boy 
entered  my  office  at  Good  Will  and  said : 

"Wratson  and  I  have  been  on  dishes  for  two 
weeks  and  haven't  broken  a  dish.  Each  of  us 

85 


will  have  five  cents  just  as  soon  as  Miss  Marshall 
gets  time  to  fill  out  the  order.  We've  talked  it 
over,  and  as  soon  as  we  get  the  money  we  are 
going  to  give  it  to  you  to  help  start  the  girls' 
homes,  so  the  girls  can  have  just  as  good  homes 
as  we  boys  have." 

I  knew  how  much  that  five  cent  piece  meant 
to  each  of  those  boys,  and  could  hardly  believe 
I  had  heard  correctly. 

"Say  that  over  again"  I  said,  and  the  boy 
repeated  the  statement. 

The  sacrifice  the  boy  was  making  was  aston- 
ishing; but  it  is  always  "more  blessed  to  give." 
Turning  to  my  assistant  I  said : 

"I  shall  take  this  money.  Several  times  I  have 
tried  to  dictate  to  my  Creator,  but  have  never 
been  successful.  If  refusal  to  undertake  any- 
thing for  girls  unless  the  work  can  begin  with  at 
least  $5,000,  is  of  the  nature  of  dictation,  then  I 
am  through  with  it." 

The  story  of  the  two  nickels  was  published, 
and  a  lady  in  Bangor  sent  two  dimes,  one  for 
each  boy  who  had  sacrificed  his  all  for  the  girls' 
home.  The  letter  said:  "I  have  not  talked  it 
over,  but  I  have  thought  it  over,  and  I've  con- 
cluded I  could  not  have  done  it  at  their  age."  I 

86 


saw  Watson  and  read  the  letter  to  him,  and  he 
immediately  returned  the  dime  and  said : 
"Put  it  in  with  the  rest ;  it  will  all  help." 
The  boys  had  been  influenced  to  their  initiative 
act  by  an  article  in  the  Good  Will  Record  of  that 
month — November.  Aside  from  their  gift, 
which  began  the  girls'  fund,  there  was  no  prog- 
ress for  several  weeks.  The  article  in  the 
Record  provoked  some  criticism  which  appeared 
chiefly  in  the  Republican  of  Belfast,  Me.  The 
attack  was  uncalled  for;  the  critics  were  at  a 
disadvantage,  for  the  reason  that  they  did  not 
understand  the  situation  or  the  motive  at  Good 
Will.  The  antagonism,  however,  was  brief. 
Others  in  various  parts  of  the  country  freely  dis- 
cussed the  plan  for  the  girls,  and,  of  course,  some 
were  opposed  to  it.  It  was  predicted  that  all 
manner  of  evil  would  fall  upon  the  project  if  it 
were  undertaken;  that  my  cares  would  be  mul- 
tiplied, and  my  sorrows  increased ;  that  a  great 
mistake  was  about  to  be  made.  Such  discussion 
resulted  in  much  thought  and  added  caution,  but 
I  was  satisfied  that  the  principle  was  right.  In 
my  own  home  I  had  two  sons;  I  did  not  want 
them  to  grow  up  far  removed  from  girls  of  their 
own  age.  I  had  two  daughters,  I  did  not  want 


them  to  grow  up  far  removed  from  boys  of  their 
age.  A  father's  instincts  played  a  prominent 
part  in  the  solution  of  the  problem.  At  the  same 
time  I  was  following  the  method  I  had  adopted 
in  the  work  for  boys.  The  plan  was  being  made 
known ;  no  personal  solicitation  was  made  to 
anyone. 

On  the  twenty- seventh  of  February,  '95,  I 
made  this  entry  in  my  journal :  "On  my  return 
home  from  an  absence  of  several  days  much  mail 
matter  is  waiting  for  personal  attention.  One 
letter  says,  "Dear  Sir  and  Brother : — Please  find 
enclosed  $i  for  the  girls.  God  bless  you  in  your 
work."  Another  letter  is  from  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian worker,  notifying  me  that  a  strong  church 
and  its  pastor  have  taken  preliminary  steps  in  the 
formation  of  a  Good  Will  Club,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  aid  in  the  opening  of  Good  Will 
Homes  for  Girls  This  will  be  the  first  club 
formed  for  the  purpose,  and  I  shall  watch  it  with 
interest  and  shall  announce  its  formation  in  the 
Good  Will  Record.  I  have  frequently  said  that 
I  would  arrange  for  the  opening  of  such  Homes 
whenever  any  person  or  persons  would  come  for- 
ward with  a  definite  sum.  But  I  acknowledge  I 
have  no  right  to  dictate.  If  the  plan  I  have 

88 


clurished  is  God's  plan,  I  must  be  willing  that 
•'He  shall  bring  to  pass"  in  his  own  way.  If 
the  Girls'  Homes  are  established  near  Good  Will 
Farm  they  must  rest  on  the  same  basis  as  do 
those  for  boys." 

April  2  I  wrote :  "April  2.  About  two  years 
ago  I  addressed  a  union  congregation  in  the 
Congregational  Church,  Farmington,  Me.  The 
service  resulted  in  many  friends  for  the  Homes. 
At  the  close  of  that  service  I  met,  for  the  first 
time,  Mr.  G.  F.  Thurston  of  Portland,  who 
immediately  became  an  earnest  co-worker,  and 
was  soon  after  a  director  of  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  friend  of 
the  Boys'  Homes  till  the  end  of  his  life.  So  I 
have  always  regarded  the  Farmington  service  of 
two  years  ago  an  important  one,  and  it  was  far 
reaching  in  its  influence.  Last  Sunday  evening, 
March  3ist,  I  addressed  another  union  congrega- 
tion in  the  same  church.  On  several  occasions, 
at  the  close  of  addresses,  I  have  been  asked  some 
questions  by  persons  in  the  audience  about  the 
plan  for  girls.  But  last  Sunday  evening,  for  the 
first  time,  I  devoted  a  part  of  the  time  to  a  plea 
for  the  plan  for  girls.  The  plan  seemed  to  meet 
with  hearty  approval.  I  announced  that  this 

89 


week  I  would  open  a  set  of  books  and  be  prepared 
to  receive  and  acknowledge  cash  contributions 
for  the  proposed  homes  for  girls  at  this  place. 
To  the  present  time  I  have  only  received  a  few 
separate  contributions  to  the  girls'  work,  and 
these  will  in  due  time  be  acknowledged  in  the 
Record.  This  morning  I  am  notified  that  the 
Volunteer  Good  Will  Club  has  just  been  organ- 
ized among  young  people,  in  the  Congress  St. 
M.  E.  Church,  Portland.  This  is  the  first  Good 
Will  Club  organized  to  aid  the  Good  Will  Homes 
for  Girls.  Success  to  the  Volunteers !" 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  an  obstacle 
which  might  prove  insurmountable.  In  such  an 
event  I  would  have  acknowledged  that  for  some 
reason  it  was  better  that  the  plan  for  girls  should 
not  be  carried  out.  Two  or  three  tracts  of  land 
were  involved.  If  these  were  held  by  parties 
who  would  not  sell,  or  would  sell  only  at  an 
exorbitant  price ;  or  if  these  tracts  should  in  the 
meantime  be  purchased  by  parties  who  would 
hold  them  at  a  price  beyond  our  reach,  the  project 
would  necessarily  be  abandoned. 

At  this  juncture  Mr.  G.  A.  Matthews  bought 
all  the  land  referred  to,  holding  it  at  a  stated 
rate  of  interest,  until  it  could  be  transferred  to  the 

90 


CHRISTIAN   ENDEAVOR   COTTAGE 


MARY  LOUISA   HALL  COTTAGE 


; 


Good  Will  Home  Association.  This  reduced  the 
problem  to  a  financial  basis.  It  was  now  only  a 
question  of  money. 

The  Volunteer  Good  Will  Club— the  first 
organization  in  the  interest  of  the  girls'  fund — 
did  valiant  service.  It  consisted  of  thirteen 
young  men  in  the  Congress  St.  M.  E.  Church, 
Portland.  In  the  annual  report  to  the  trustees 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  in  June,  I 
reported  that  the  girls'  fund,  including  a  gift  of 
$1,000,  amounted  to  $1,150.  The  October 
Record  announced  the  gift  of  the  first  cottage 
for  girls — a  home  to  be  built  as  soon  as  the  land 
could  be  purchased.  The  donors'  names  were 
withheld  from  the  public  for  a  time  at  their 
request.  The  gift  was  made  September  29,  '95. 
The  fund  at  that  time  amounted  to  $1,250.  This 
was  progress — or  rather  it  was  just  a  happy, 
healthy  growth. 

October  fifteenth  Hon.  E.  S.  Converse  of  Mai- 
den, Mass.,  visited  Good  Will.  Accompanied  by 
his  private  secretary  he  arrived  on  the  10.10 
A.  M.  train.  Mr.  Converse  had  previously  mani- 
fested his  interest  in  the  work  in  many  ways  and 
I  had  reason  to  believe  that  he  gave  the  two 
thousand  dollars  earlier  in  the  history  of  the 

91 


work,  which  was  to  meet  special  needs,  and 
known  while  it  lasted  as  the  "O"  fund,  because 
secured  by  Mr.  George  Henry  Quincy  of  Boston. 

Mr.  Converse  seemed  greatly  pleased  with  the 
possibilities  of  the  place.  After  looking  about 
for  an  hour  he  sat  down  in  my  own  home  and 
said: 

"Now  what  would  you  like  to  have  me  do?" 

I  was  not  prepared  for  such  a  question.  It 
had  never  occurred  to  me  that  such  an  inquiry 
would  ever  be  made  by  anyone. 

"Really,"  I  replied,  "I  don't  know  what  you 
would  like  to  do,  nor  how  much  you  can  do  ?" 

Then  I  told  him  of  the  five  cent  contributions 
by  the  boys;  the  Volunteer  Club  of  Portland, 
Me. ;  the  proffered  gift  of  a  cottage  for  girls  and 
the  land  still  held  by  Mr.  Matthews.  Mr.  Con- 
verse listened  attentively  and  then  drew  his  check 
for  seven  thousand  three  hundred  dollars — a  sum 
which  covered  everything  I  had  mentioned  to 
him.  I  did  not  know  what  to  say.  There  was 
nothing  I  could  say.  I  think  my  only  expression 
of  gratitude  was,  "Thank  you."  But  that  day 
I  had  received  a  benediction;  my  faith  had  got 
a  new  stimulus;  and  though  not  one  dollar  of 
that  gift  could  ever  touch  me  personally,  I  was 

92 


the  richest  man  in  the  State.  Had  I  not  waited 
and  believed?  Was  not  God  bringing  to  pass? 
In  the  Good  Will  Record  the  money  for  each 
purchase  of  land  was  announced  separately ;  but 
the  payment  was  received  in  that  single  check. 

As  soon  as  the  land  on  which  the  girls'  homes 
were  to  be  located  had  been  purchased  and  paid 
for  it  was  announced  that  the  donors  of  the  first 
cottage  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  M.  Smith  of 
Stamford,  Conn.,  and  that  the  home  was  to  be  in 
memory  of  their  daughter  Elizabeth  Wilcox 
Smith.  Ground  was  broken  on  the  afternoon  of 
April  22,  the  first  sod  being  turned  by  my  own 
boy,  Walter  Palmer  Hinckley  who  was  then 
eleven  years  old. 

The  beautiful  structure  was  completed  and 
furnished  in  time  for  the  day  of  dedication, 
which  early  in  the  season  was  fixed  for  July  2Qth. 
At  the  dedicatory  service  the  thirty-seventh 
Psalm  was  read. 

In  presenting  the  home,  Mr.  Smith  said: 
"Mr.  President:  Since  1888  my  family  have 
sought  the  opportunity,  (which  God  has  so 
clearly  shown  us  within  the  past  year,)  to  erect 
to  the  memory  of  a  darling  daughter  and  sister, 
some  monument  that  would  seem  to  accord  with 

93 


her  sweet,  active  and  beneficent  life.  She  loved 
to  make  others  happy. 

This  occasion  is  so  full  of  tender  and  precious 
memories  that  I  dare  not  trust  myself  to  speak 
at  any  length  of  her  whose  name  this  cottage 
bears. 

By  the  kind  permission  and  co-operation  of 
yourself,  sir,  as  president,  and  of  the  board  of 
directors  of  Good  Will  Home  Association  we 
have  been  permitted  to  erect  upon  this  lovely  spot 
the  beautiful  home  which  we  now  dedicate  in 
sacred  memory  to  her  who  was  all  that  is  lovely, 
pure  and  true  in  young  womanhood,  to  be  held 
in  trust  as  a  home  for  girls  in  need  of  a  helping 
hand. 

Permit  me,  sir,  to  express  the  hope  that  no 
impure  thoughts  may  ever  find  lodgment  here. 

May  Elizabeth  Wilcox  Smith  Cottage  ever 
stand  as  the  embodiment  of  all  that  is  chaste  and 
pure  in  life.  And  may  our  Heavenly  Father 
graciously  smile  upon  this  offering  from  loving 
hearts."  " 

In  his  speech  of  acceptance  President  Gid- 
dings  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  said : 
"Before  formally  accepting  the  generous  gift 
which  you  have  made  us,  sir,  today,  let  me  call 

94 


A.    N.    RYERSON. 


your  attention  to  two  or  three  facts  that  are  to  be 
considered  in  connection  with  such  an  event.  All 
the  knowledge  we  have  in  this  world  springs 
mainly  from  three  sources.  The  first  as  you 
well  know  is  the  Bible,  the  revelation  from  God, 
in  which  we  read  His  wonderful  declarations  and 
in  which  we  also  read  profound  histories  and 
prophecies;  some  we  understand  and  some  we 
do  not  understand.  But  to  the  devout  soul  He 
reveals  more  or  less  from  time  to  time,  of  those 
mighty  truths,  some  of  which  will  remain  mys- 
teries to  us  through  all  our  mortal  lives ;  but  step 
by  step  we  see  new  revelations.  The  next  source 
of  our  knowledge  is  nature.  We  look  abroad 
and  see  the  glorious  works  of  nature, — the  sun 
rising  day  by  day  and  the  moon  by  night;  the 
stars  filling  the  sky ;  the  ocean  full  of  beauty  and 
usefulness  to  man ;  the  earth  and  the  wonderful 
things  that  God  has  made.  Many  things  are 
mysteries  that  we  cannot  understand.  But  step 
by  step  He  leads  us  on.  Man  has  come  almost 
to  control  the  great  forces  of  nature  by  the  great 
discoveries  which  he  has  made;  but  still  there  are 
mysteries  which  elude  his  grasp.  There  is  still 
another  source  of  knowledge — Divine  Provi- 
dence— more  mysterious  than  all  the  rest.  He 

95 


says  to  us :  "Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God," 
and  so  we  ponder  on  and  travel  on,  searching 
ever  to  know  more  and  more  of  those  great 
mysteries  which  surround  us  and  which  so  deeply 
concern  us.  To  you,  sir,  there  came  one  of  those 
mysteries.  In  1888  there  came  to  your  home  a 
dark  providence,  so  dark  that  with  all  the  devo- 
tion of  a  Christian  heart  there  must  be  a  yearn- 
ing to  know  the  reason  why.  Why,  O  why, 
must  we  bear  such  a  trial  as  this?  That  there 
must  needs  have  gone  out  from  a  happy  home  a 
light  and  a  joy  was  as  mysterious  as  it  was  full 
of  tribulation.  To-day  there  comes  one  of  these 
illuminations  that  sometimes  Divine  Providence 
permits  His  creatures  to  behold.  A  light  is  let 
in  upon  that  darkness,  and  what  was  then  dark- 
ness is  now  light.  Good  Will  Farm  had  not  then 
been  projected,  or  rather  only  in  the  mind  of  a 
man.  It  had  no  place  on  this  footstool.  These 
cottages  had  no  existence.  The  industrious 
farmer  was  tilling  the  soil,  all  unconscious  of  the 
purpose  for  which  Providence  had  designed  it, 
and  you  were  pursuing  your  avocations  in  your 
homes  and  places  of  business  all  unconscious  of 
the  future.  Can  anyone  deny  that  he  who  was 
"working  out  the  plan"  was  the  Divine  architect? 

96 


He  said,  "I  will  enter  that  home  on  the  banks  of 
Long  Island  Sound  and  I  will  take  from  it  one 
that  shall  be  an  inspiration  in  a  home,  not  for 
one  but  a  score  of  young  lives.  I  will  take  out 
of  a  home  one,  that  I  may  make  a  home  for  many 
more."  And  to-day  this  home  stands  as  a 
memorial  of  that  event  in  the  life  which  that  day 
passed  away  from  earth.  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
we  adore  the  riches  of  His  grace,  when  He 
reveals  to  us  the  purposes  with  which  he  has 
dealt  with  us?  Accept  the  confidence,  a  Divine 
hand  was  dealing  with  you  and  yours,  my 
brother,  in  that  dark  day  of  tribulation. 

And  now  on  this  hillside  there  stands  this  home 
in  all  its  beauty,  its  convenience  and  its  comforts, 
that  shall  brighten  future  days  and  years  for 
many  a  one  who  is  in  need  of  such  a  home.  If 
one  must  be  taken  from  a  happy  home  in  order 
that  others  may  have  a  home,  is  it  too  great  a 
sacrifice  to  make  ?  I  trust  you  will  be  able  to  say 
on  this  day,  "Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed 
good  in  Thy  sight." 

My  dear  brother,  we  accept  this  donation 
which  you  have  made,  with  all  the  conditions 
which  you  have  affixed.  Here  we  propose  to 
have  young  girls  educated  who  shall  be  the  object 

97 


of  the  utmost  care,  whose  minds,  whose  hands, 
whose  hearts  shall  be  cultivated  and  they  will 
come  here  year  after  year,  and  read  the  name  and 
look  upon  the  portrait  of  the  one  for  whom  this 
is  a  memorial ;  and  may  it  be  that  the  light  of  that 
heaven  to  which  she  has  gone  shall  shine  down 
upon  your  home  and  this  one,  and  that  this  home 
shall  cast  back  its  light  and  its  prayers  in  many, 
many  benedictions  upon  your  own.  Even  so 
may  the  Lord  bless  you  and  yours." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

One  of  the  farms  which  was  paid  for  with  a 
part  of  the  proceeds  of  Mr.  Converse's  check 
joined  Good  Will  on  the  north.  The  chief  rea- 
son for  its  purchase  was,  that  it  would  be  a  most 
convenient  site  for  a  chapel,  if  the  girls'  homes 
were  opened.  In  her  will,  Miss  Mary  D.  Moody 
left  $10,000  to  build  a  memorial  to  her  brother, 
Charles  E.  Moody,  at  Good  Will  Farm.  But 
after  the  will  was  made,  she  united  with  her 
sister,  Miss  Frances  E.  Moody,  in  building  the 
Memorial  School  Building.  The  directors  of 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association  therefore  voted 
to  quit  all  claim  to  the  legacy  provided  for  in  the 
will.  The  ten  thousand  dollars  therefore 
reverted  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Moody,  who  at  once 
decided  upon  a  Moody  Memorial  Chapel,  and 
devoted  the  amount  of  the  legacy  to  that  purpose 
placing  with  it  an  additional  five  thousand 
dollars. 

Ground  was  broken  with  appropriate  ceremo- 
nies July  TI,  1896,  the  first  sod  being  turned 

99 


by  my  daughter  Faith  then  five  years  old.  Miss 
Moody  was  present.  The  thirty-seventh  Psalm 
was  read. 

Just  one  hour  before  the  exercises  of  breaking 
ground  for  the  chapel,  painters  finished  their 
work  on  Elizabeth  Wilcox  Smith  Cottage,  and 
pronounced  that  building  completed. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  chapel  was  laid,  in  the 
presence  of  a  great  assemblage,  August  3rd. 
Again  the  Psalm  which  contains  the  passage 
upon  which  the  work  rests  was  read  to  the  peo- 
ple, viz :  "Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  trust 
also  in  him,  and  he  shall  bring  to  pass." 

The  chapel  was  dedicated  June  16,  1897.  The 
thirty-seventh  Psalm  was  read.  The  dedicatory 
hymn,  written  for  the  occasion  by  Rev.  A.  J. 
Lockhart,  was  sung  by  the  boys'  choir. 

DEDICATORY   HYMN. 

Written  for  the  dedication  of  the  Mary  D.  Moody 
Memorial  Chapel,  and  sung  by  the  Good  Will  boy  choir, 

June  16,  i8Q7. 

AIR:  "O  for  the  peace  that  floweth  as  a  river/' — 
Gospel  Hymns. 

"See  that  thou  make  all  things  according  to  the 
pattern  showed  to  thee  on  the  mount." — Heb.  viii:  5. 

100 


As  Moses,  in  the  holy  mount  appearing, 
Received  the  pattern  of  Thine  ancient  shrine, — 

Thy  word,  O  Lord,  with  awful  rapture  hearing, — 
So  now  we  wait  that  perfect  will  of  Thine. 

Here  no*  inspire  us  from  Thy  sacred  Mountain, 
To  which  we  look,  as  if  Thy  face  to  see; 

And  consecrate,  out  of  Thy  heart's  deep  fountain, 
These  walls  we  rear — a  temple  unto  Thee. 

O  Thou,  who  sav'st  the  helpless  and  the  lowly, 
The  outcast  souls  who  gath'rest  in  Thy  fold, — 

Gather  them  here — Thou  gracious  One  and  holy! 
And  let  their  tearful  eyes  Thy  love  behold. 

Here  come  to  youthful  souls  with  Thy  salvation; 

Here  let  the  voice  of  prayer  and  praise  arise ; 
Here  shape  the  stones  for  Thy  sublime  foundation— 

The  Temple  Thou  art  rearing  in  the  skies. 

How  frail  our  work,  however  wrought  and  gilded; 

Transient  our  lives,  where  all  is  insecure! 
Lord !    in  the  House  Thy  glorious  Hand  hath  builded 

May  we  behold  the  things  that  shall  endure! 


101 


CHAPTER  XII. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Maine  State  Grange 
in  1896  was  held  in  Bangor.  At  one  of  the 
sessions  Mrs.  Lewis  Beale,  North  Fairfield,  pro- 
posed that  the  granges  of  the  State  build  a  cot- 
tage for  girls — to  be  a  home  for  a  family  of 
fifteen,  and  to  be  called  Grange  Cottage.  The 
proposition  was  not  received  with  much  enthu- 
siasm. 

A  year  later  the  State  Grange  met  at  Augusta ; 
the  committee  which  had  been  appointed  at  Ban- 
gor the  year  before  reported  eight  hundred  dol- 
lars in  hand  for  the  proposed  cottage.  The 
effort  had  some  strong  supporters — notably  Hon. 
Edward  Wiggin,  the  worthy  master.  The  report 
of  the  committee,  and  the  discussion  which  fol- 
lowed, created  new  interest,  and  a  fresh  impetus 
was  given  the  work  of  raising  funds.  The  effort 
could  not  fail. 

The  corner  stone  of  Grange  Cottage  was  laid 
October  4,  '97,  many  prominent  members  of  the 
order  being  present.  The  thirty-seventh  Psalm 

102 


was  read.  Again  on  December  2Oth  the  place 
was  visited  by  a  good  number  of  grangers,  and 
Grange  Cottage  was  dedicated.  The  keys  were 
presented  by  Worthy  Master  Wiggin,  and 
accepted  by  President  Giddings.  The  scripture 
lesson  read  on  this  occasion  was  Psalm  thirty- 
seven. 

On  the  farm  purchased  for  the  girls  were  two 
small  barns,  and  a  one  story  house.  The  barns 
were  moved.  The  house  was  "fixed  over"  and 
used  for  a  school  building.  It  was  called  the 
"White  House"  because  it  had  once  been  white, 
though  small  traces  of  paint  remained.  It 
offered  poor  educational  facilities ;  but  much  bet- 
ter than  the  boys  had  enjoyed  at  the  correspond- 
ing stage  of  development  of  the  plan  for  them. 
But  it  was  possible  to  seat  thirty  girls  at  desks 
in  the  "White  House"  and  at  the  same  time  have 
one  room  for  the  sewing  school. 

On  the  way  to  Good  Will  one  day  in  1900 
travelling  on  the  M.  C.  R.  R.,  Mr.  A.  N.  Ryerson 
of  Noroton,  Conn.,  asked  me  if  I  would  like 
another  cottage  for  girls  at  Good  Will.  I 
explained  to  him  that  we  could  not  wisely  open 
another  cottage  when  we  had  no  place  to  educate 
the  girls  who  would  find  a  home  there.  After 

103 


this  interview  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryerson,  who  were 
mourning  the  death  of  their  only  daughter, 
decided  to  build  a  memorial  school  building  for 
girls  to  be  known  as  the  Emily  F.  Ryerson 
Building. 

Ground  was  broken  in  the  summer  of  1900, 
Mrs.  Ryerson  turning  the  first  sod.  The  build- 
ing was  dedicated  July  31,  1901. 

In  presenting  the  keys  to  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association  Mr.  Ryerson  said,  addressing  myself: 

"My  Brother: — The  occasion  of  our  meeting 
here  this  morning,  while  one  of  the  pleasantest, 
also  brings  to  mind  one  of  the  saddest  experi- 
ences in  our  lives. 

On  December  30,  1899,  our  Heavenly  Father, 
in  His  infinite  wisdom  and  love,  took  from  our 
home  unto  Himself,  our  darling  daughter,  in  the 
bloom  and  beauty  of  young  womanhood. 

In  the  following  February,  I  visited  the  Tines' 
as  the  guest  of  my  very  dear  friend,  Mr.  Walter 
M.  Smith.  During  that  visit  I  had  several  con- 
versations with  you,  sir,  in  which  we  discussed 
the  needs  of  the  homes,  and  I  learned  from  you 
that  there  was  a  very  pressing  need  of  a  school 
building  for  girls. 


104 


Before  leaving  my  home  in  Connecticut,  my 
wife  and  I  considered  building  a  girl's  cottage, 
but  as  the  more  important  need  seemed  to  be  a 
school  building  for  girls,  before  taking  my  leave, 
I  promised  you  if,  after  prayerfully  considering 
the  matter  with  my  dear  wife,  it  seemed  clearly 
the  leading  of  the  Divine  will,  that  we  would 
erect  a  school  building  for  the  girls  as  a  memorial 
to  our  darling  daughter,  and  a  thank  offering 
to  our  Heavenly  Father  for  his  many,  many 
mercies  to  us. 

In  planning  this  building,  it  has  been  our  aim 
as  far  as  possible  to  meet  the  various  require- 
ments of  the  girls  in  the  Good  Will  Homes. 
Aside  from  rooms  devoted  to  ordinary  school 
work,  we  have  provided  for  domestic  training, 
suitable  rooms  for  cooking  and  sewing  classes, 
a  hall  where  they  can  hold  their  weekly  prayer 
meetings  and  such  literary  and  social  entertain- 
ments as  seem  desirable. 

It  is  the  earnest  wish  and  prayer  of  the  donors 
that  there  may  go  forth  from  these  homes  hun- 
dreds, yes,  thousands  of  young  ladies  whose 
minds  will  be  stored  with  useful  knowledge, 
whose  hands  and  eyes  shall  be  skilled  in  the 
domestic  duties  of  the  home  life.  We  hope  they 

105 


will  have  strong  and  noble  characters  that  shall 
fit  them  for  the  bufferings  and  sorrows,  as  well 
as  the  joys  and  pleasures  incident  to  life,  with 
hearts  filled  with  love  to  God,  love  for  humanity, 
love  for  all  that  is  highest,  noblest,  purest  and 
grandest  in  life.  We  pray  that  their  lives  may 
be  a  blessing  and  a  benediction  to  all  with  whom 
they  come  in  contact ;  that  in  the  day  when  Christ 
shall  make  up  his  jewels,  there  shall  not  be  one 
missing  of  those  who  have  received  spiritual, 
moral  and  mental  training  in  the  Emily  Fox 
Ryerson  Memorial  School  Building. 

Now,  my  dear  sir,  with  gratitude  to  our  Heav- 
enly Father  that  it  has  pleased  Him  to  use  us 
as  his  stewards,  giving  us  a  part  in  this  grand 
and  noble  work,  I  now  formally  present  to  you 
the  Emily  Fox  Ryerson  Memorial  School  Build- 
ing for  girls." 

In  the  absence  of  President  Giddings,  who  was 
detained  by  illness,  I  accepted  the  gift  for  the 
Association,  saying:  "My  Dear  Brother: — I 
regret  the  absence  of  the  honored  president  of 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  on  this  occa- 
sion. I  hold  in  my  hand  a  telegram  just  received 
from  him,  in  which  he  says :  "May  the  occasion 
be  auspicious.  God's  blessing  on  the  donors." 

1 06 


THE  CHARLES  E.  MOODY  SCHOOL  HUILD1NC 


THE  MOODY   MEMORIAL   CHAPEL 


In  the  president's  absence,  it  becomes  my  duty, 
in  behalf  of  the  Association  to  accept  this  beauti- 
ful gift.  I  am  reminded  of  the  scene  in  Eliza- 
beth Wilcox  Smith  Cottage  a  few  years  ago 
when  that  home  was  presented  bv  its  donor  and 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  GoJ  and  of  needy  girl- 
hood. President  Giddings,  in  his  address  of 
acceptance,  reminded  us  that  God  had  taken  a 
daughter  from  a  beautiful  home  on  the  shores  of 
Long  Island  Sound,  but  through  that  strange 
dispensation  of  his  providence  there  had  sprung 
up,  a  home  and  shelter  for  a  multitude  of  girls, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Kennebec.  And  now  some- 
thing of  a  similar  nature  has  occurred.  As  I 
walk  through  this  beautiful  building,  so  admir- 
ably adapted  to  its  purposes  for  which  you  offer 
it,  I  am  profoundly  impressed  with  the  enlarged 
life  of  that  loved  one,  whose  loss  you  so  deeply 
mourn.  It  is  said  of  her:  "She  is  dead."  But 
she  lives ;  and  the  influence  of  her  short  life  will 
be  felt  in  ever  increasing  power,  as  the  years 
come  and  go.  and  multitudes  of  girls  are  educated 
here.  If  your  daughter  had  spoken  to  you  and 
said :  "Father,  if  I  go,  out  of  my  short  life  there 
will  arise  a  building  which  shall  be  a  blessing 
to  the  world,"  I  know  what  you  would  have  said. 

107 


In  your  great  love  for  her  you  would  have 
exclaimed :  "My  child,  I  cannot  let  you  go ;  you 
must  not  go."  But  if  I  have  understood  the 
disposition  and  the  spirit  of  your  daughter,  I 
think,  in  her  love  for  humanity,  and  her  sym- 
pathy for  the  needy,  she  would  have  said :  "Let 
me  go  and  let  the  many  be  helped."  If  I  know 
my  own  heart,  could  I  be  assured  that  out  of  my 
own  death  there  would  come  as  great  a  blessing 
to  humanity,  as  I  believe  this  building  will  be, 
much  as  I  value  life,  and  much  as  I  love  my  home 
and  my  family,  I  would  say :  "Let  me  go."  It 
is  not  all  of  life — these  few  short  years  allotted 
to  us  here.  Long  after  you  and  I  have  gone 
hence,  this  building  will  continue  to  bless 
humanity;  your  daughter's  influence  will  con- 
tinue to  broaden ;  this  beautiful  gift  from  your- 
self and  your  companion  will  still  be  a  beacon 
light.  With  a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  to  the 
donors  of  this  building,  and  a  deeper  sense  of 
gratitude  to  God  who  graciously  prompted  it,  I 
accept  this  building  for  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association,  and  join  in  the  prayer  of  our  absent 
president :  'God's  blessing  on  the  donors.'  " 


108 


Of  course  that  portion  of  the  scripture  which 
contains  the  text  on  which  the  work  is  founded — 
Psalm  37 :  5 — was  read  on  this  occasion. 


109 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

From  the  very  beginning  I  had  hoped  and 
expected  that  "manual  training"  would  be  a 
prominent  feature  at  Good  Will.  If  I  could 
have  had  my  own  way,  a  manual  training  build- 
ing would  have  followed  the  first  cottages,  and 
preceded  the  school  building.  But  I  was  not 
determining  the  order  of  things,  nor  was  I 
"bringing  to  pass."  But  next  in  importance  to 
Psalm  37 :  5 — "Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord, 
trust  also  in  Him  and  He  shall  bring  to  pass," 
as  a  basis  for  operations,  is  Proverbs  22 :  6,  which 
in  the  original  reads,  "Train  up  a  child  in  his 
way,"  i.  e.  according  to  his  bent  [margin]  and 
when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it." 

But  years  of  patient  waiting  were  necessary 
before  we  could  have  equipment  for  such  work. 
From  the  beginning  our  school  was  carefully 
graded  and  included  a  college  preparatory  course. 
Comparatively  few  Good  Will  boys  enter  college, 
but  the  high  school  department  is  a  strong  incen- 
tive to  good  work  in  the  lower  grades,  and  a  very 

1 10 


large  percentage  of  the  boys  in  those  grades  aim 
at  a  year  or  two  at  least  in  the  high  school  before 
leaving  the  Farm. 

An  attempt  at  manual  training  was  made  in 
Prospect  Cottage.  Carpenter  benches  were  pro- 
vided and  classes  arranged ;  but  the  room  was 
soon  needed  for  other  purposes,  and  wood  work- 
ing was  crowded  out.  The  building  proposed 
by  the  Commercial  Travelers'  Association  was  to 
have  had  one  floor  devoted  to  manual  training. 
The  Harper  Round  Table  Building  was  to  be  of 
a  similar  character.  These  projects  failed  only 
that  larger  things  might  be  inaugurated,  and  that 
a  more  complete  educational  plant  might  mate- 
rialize. 

An  examination  of  files  of  the  Good  Will 
Record  reveals  repeated  calls  for  a  manual  train- 
ing plant.  But  there  was  never  a  time  when, 
had  the  thing  been  done  it  would  have  been  done 
right.  There  was  a  time  when  the  manual  train- 
ing building  would  have  been  located  in  the  rear 
of  Golden  Rule  Cottage.  This  would  have  been 
a  blunder.  At  another  time  it  would  have  been 
placed  between  the  railroad  and  the  Kennebec 
river.  This  was  before  we  learned  by  experi- 
ence that  this  site  may  at  any  time  of  freshet  be 

in 


covered  with  water  and  drifting  ice  to  a  depth  of 
two  feet,  though  it  has  really  happened  only  once 
in  the  history  of  Good  Will.  At  still  another 
period  it  would  have  been  situated  on  the  side- 
hill  between  .Fogg  Cottage  and  the  railroad. 
This  would  Have  been  unfortunate.  I  had 
repeatedly  said  that  I  did  not  believe  we  would 
have  a  manual  training  building  until  the  right 
location  was  selected.  I  am  confident  that  the 
site  chosen  is  the  only  wise  one  at  Good  Will  for 
it,  though  to  place  it  where  it  is  to  be,  involved 
much  planning,  and  considerable  expense. 

One  day  in  April,  '01,  I  called  on  a  business 
man  in  New  York  city.  I  had  met  him  but  two 
or  three  times  in  my  life ;  but  possessed  proof  of 
his  sympathy  and  helpfulness.  He  told  me  he 
had  been  thinking  of  Good  Will  and  its  needs. 
He  thought  that  at  least  fifty  thousand  dollars 
ought  to  be  raised  for  a  manual  training  build- 
ing, its  equipment  and  partial  endowment,  and 
offered  to  give  ten  thousand  dollars  toward  the 
project,  on  condition  that  the  other  forty  thou- 
sand dollars  be  raised  on  or  before  May  I,  1902. 
This  gave  a  year  in  which  to  secure  the  amount. 

A  few  days  later  two  men  pledged  five  thou- 
sand dollars  each  on  same  conditions.  Other 

112 


sums  were  added,  until  iliirty-oiu1  thousand  dol- 
lars was  pledged,  and  the  remaining  nineteen 
thousand  dollars  looked  like  an  insurmountable 
difficulty. 

The  year  was  almost  gone.  It  was  April, 
1902,  and  May  ist  was  the  last  day  of  grace. 
One  day  I  was  ill  in  bed,  a  faithful  attendant  by 
my  side,  when  a  telegram  came  reading  thus: 

"Fifteen  thousand  dollars  pledged  on  condi- 
tion that  last  four  be  raised.  Come  to  New  York 
at  once." 

Obedience  to  the  summons  seemed  physically 
impossible.  I  was  sick.  But  I  decided  to  make 
the  trip  by  easy  stages.  The  next  morning  I 
started  for  New  York,  accompanied  by  my 
attendant,  but  went  only  as  far  as  Portland,  Me. 
The  following  day  I  continued  the  trip.  Friends 
of  Good  Will  made  provision  for  the  remaining 
four  thousand  dollars.  The  success  of  this 
project  was  due  under  the  blessing  of  heaven, 
to  Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith,  the  vice-president  of 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  directors  of  the 
Association,  a  building  committee  was  appointed 
consisting  of  Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith,  Stamford, 
Conn.;  Mr.  A.  L.  Prescott,  New  York;  Judge 


Nathaniel  Hobbs,  North  Berwick,  Me.,  and  G. 
W.  Hinckley,  East  Fairfield,  Me. 

Plans  were  prepared,  and  duly  accepted.  The 
site  selected  was  north  of  the  Charles  E.  Moody 
Building,  and  in  line  with  it.  To  make  this  site 
available  it  was  necessary  to  move  Prospect 
Cottage  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  to  the  west. 

Ground  was  broken,  with  appropriate  exer- 
cises. The  first  sod  was  turned  by  Rev.  Harry 
Kimball  of  Skowhegan.  The  thirty-seventh 
Psalm  was  read.  It  was  planned  that  the  build- 
ing should  be  opened  in  September,  1903. 

It  was  necessary  to  make  some  provision  for 
teachers  and  for  boys  who  would  wish  to  take 
courses  in  the  manual  training  building.  The 
boys  would  be  older  than  those  for  whom  the 
cottages  were  built,  and  the  committee  decided 
that  a  part  of  the  manual  training  plant  must  be 
a  dormitory.  Plans  were  prepared  and  Prospect 
Cottage  was  incorporated  into  a  building  con- 
taining a  spacious  dining  hall,  kitchen,  store  room 
and  twenty-six  sleeping  rooms.  Several  years 
before  the  first  pledge  was  made  toward  the 
manual  training  building,  Mrs.  T.  Buckminster 
of  Saco,  Me.,  had  told  me  that  eventually  she 
would  give  several  thousand  dollars  toward  the 
114 


endowment  of  a  manual  training  school  if  some 
one  else  provided  the  building,  but  she  did  not 
wish  to  contribute  any  part  toward  the  building. 
The  pledge  thus  made  strengthened  my  faith 
that  the  building  would  some  day  be  secured ; 
but  I  cherished  my  knowledge  of  what  had  thus 
been  promised  and  said  nothing.  The  amount 
pledged  by  Mrs.  Buckminster  was  included  in 
the  fifty  thousand  dollars  finally  raised,  and  when 
the  dormitory  was  nearing  completion  I  sug- 
gested to  the  committee  that  it  be  called  the 
"Buckminster."  This  was  done  in  gratitude  to 
one  who  had  shown  her  confidence  in  the  final 
success  of  the  manual  training  school  even  when 
there  was  nothing  visible  to  indicate  that  it  would 
ever  be  installed  at  Good  Will. 

Tuesday,  May  12,  1903,  was  an  important  day 
at  Good  Will.  At  10.15  A.  M.  a  meeting  of  the 
directors  was  held  in  the  office  of  the  Charles  E. 
Moody  building.  At  10.30  exercises  appropriate 
to  the  laying  of  the  corner  stone  of  the  Manual 
Training  building  were  held.  The  congregation 
sang,  "How  Firm  a  Foundation."  It  was  my 
privilege  to  say: 

"From  the  earliest  beginning  of  the  work  at 
Good  Will  a  manual  training  school  has  been  a 


part  of  the  plan.  The  waiting  has  been  long  and 
patient;  the  building  is  now  in  process  of  con- 
struction; the  time  for  the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone  is  come.  No  one  can  fully  understand  the 
feelings  of  gratitude  in  my  heart  toward  those 
who  in  the  days  of  smallest  things  here  did  not 
hesitate  to  stand  by  the  project  and  work  earn- 
estly for  it.  One  day  Mr.  George  Henry  Quincy 
of  Boston  came  here,  and  from  the  day  of  his 
first  visit  he  worked  and  planned  for  Good  Will. 
At  the  time  of  his  unexpected  death  he  was 
hoping  and  working  for  large  things  here.  This 
structure  is  not  being  built  as  a  memorial  to  him ; 
but  out  of  the  gratitude  of  my  heart  I  have  sug- 
gested that  it  be  named  after  him,  and  I  am 
happy  to  announce  that  by  vote  of  the  directors 
this  is  to  be  the  "Quincy  Building."  We  will 
listen  to  the  reading  of  scripture  by  Rev.  W.  H. 
Spencer,  D.  D.,  of  Skowhegan,  and  be  led  in 
prayer  by  him ;  we  will  sing  the  hymn  which  has 
been  written  for  this  occasion,  and  the  corner 
stone  will  then  be  laid  by  the  honored  president 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  Mr.  Moses 
Giddings  of  Bangor.  He  will  use  the  same 
trowel  which  was  used  at  the  laying  of  other 

116 


corner  stones  here,  and  it  will  then  be  placed  in 
the  museum  to  await  further  occasions  of  this 
kind." 

Dr.  Spencer  read  a  part  of  the  thirty-seventh 
Psalm  and  offered  prayer.  The  congregation 
then  sang  the  following  hymn  which  I  had  writ- 
ten for  use  at  this  time : 

HYMN 

For  laying  of  corner  stone,  Good  Will,  May  12,  '03. 
TUNE  :    ERNAN. 

Father  of  mercies,  hear  our  humble  prayer, 
To  thee  we  come ;  we  worship  thee  alone ; 
Grant  thou  a  blessing  on  thy  work  today, 
As  in  thy  name  we  lay  this  corner  stone. 

We  know  not  what  thy  power  shall  bring  to  pass 
As  days  and  months  and  years  to  cycles  grow; 
But  this  we  pray,  that  on  the  work  begun, 
Thy  gracious  blessing  thou  wilt  still  bestow. 

Grant  that  within  the  walls  that  here  arise, 
Rich  streams  of  wisdom  ever  more  may  flow: 
Direct  the  work  that  daily  here  is  done; 
Let  sturdy  youth  to  stalwart  manhood  grow. 

We  do  not  ask  to  hear  the  story  told 

Of  all  the  good  which  on  this  hill  shall  be; 

Eternity  alone  can  tell  the  tale, 

And  then  the  blessed  fruitage  we  shall  see. 


To  thee  who  dost  alone  bring  all  to  pass, 
Bid  those  who  labor  here  commit  their  way; 
Help  them  to  trust;  let  love  triumphant  rule, 
Till  on  their  vision  breaks  supernal  day. 

G.  W.   H. 

Mr.  Giddings  laid  the  corner  stone  and  said : 

"The  corner  stone  of  the  Quincy  Industrial 
Building  is  laid.  It  is  plumb  and  true  and  of  the 
vnost  enduring  material. 

"The  trowel  used  in  the  laying  of  this  stone 
was  used  in  laying  the  corner  stone  of  the  Moody 
School  Building,  donated  to  learning,  and  also 
in  laying  the  corner  stone  of  yonder  chapel,  dedi- 
cated to  the  worship  of  God.  We  have  here, 
when  these  walls  shall  have  been  erected,  three 
buildings,  one  donated  to  learning,  this  one  to 
industry,  and  the  other  to  religion.  The  educa- 
tion of  the  mind,  the  training  of  the  hand,  and 
the  culture  of  the  heart — these  if  rightly  used  will 
form  a  foundation  on  which  a  character  may  be 
built  that  will  assure  success,  usefulness,  and 
happiness." 

The  audience  was  then  invited  to  attend  the 
dedicatory  exercises  of  the  new  dormitory,  and 
the  service  closed  with  the  singing  of  the  dox- 
ology. 

118 


The  copper  box  in  the  corner  stone  contains  a 
copy  of  the  May  number  of  the  Good  Will 
Record,  "The  Story  of  Good  Will  Farm,"  Ken- 
nebec  Daily  Journal  of  May  12,  a  copy  of  the 
original  hymn  written  for  the  occasion,  a  few 
other  articles  including  coins  bearing  the  date 
1903. 

The  day  was  perfect,  and  there  was  no  excuse 
for  attempting  to  accommodate  the  people  in  the 
dormitory  which  was  to  be  dedicated.  Those 
who  had  any  share  in  the  exercises  were  assigned 
places  on  the  veranda;  the  audience  gathered 
south  of  the  building.  A  choir  from  the  girls' 
school  sang  a  selection,  and  I  took  occasion  to 
say: 

"I  have  already  referred  to  the  gratitude  I 
cherish  in  my  heart  toward  those  who  in  days  of 
small  things  proved  to  me  their  faith  in  this 
philanthropic  and  educational  project.  About 
four  years  ago  a  benevolent  woman  in  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  State  invited  me  to  her  home. 
We  had  never  met.  In  our  first  interview  as  I 
responded  to  her  invitation,  she  expressed  her 
willingness  to  provide  for  a  partial  endowment — 
several  thousand  dollars — for  a  manual  training 


119 


school  whenever  a  building  should  be  provided. 
She  did  not  wish  to  have  any  part  in  providing 
the  structure ;  but  wanted  to  have  a  share  in  sup- 
porting the  school  which  she  seemed  to  feel  sure 
would  some  time  be  opened  here.  I  cannot 
explain  to  you  how  this  woman's  faith  increased 
my  courage,  and  strengthened  my  purpose:  or 
been  reared  as  a  memorial ;  but  I  have  suggested 
how  grateful  I  am  to  her.  This  structure  has  not 
that  this  dormitory  which  is  to  be  a  part  of  the 
manual  training  plant,  and  at  the  service  of  stu- 
dents in  the  manual  training  school  be  named  in 
honor  of  Mrs.  T.  Buckminster  of  Saco,  Maine, 
the  woman  who  showed  her  own  faith  in  the 
project  and  increased  mine,  when  there  was  no 
material  evidence  that  such  a  day  as  this  would 
ever  come.  By  vote  of  the  directors  of  the  Good 
Will  Home  Association  this  is  to  be  called  the 
"Buckminster."  Scripture  will  be  read,  and 
prayer  offered  by  Rev.  F.  M.  Preble,  D.  D.,  of 
Auburn,  Maine." 

Dr.  Preble  read  the  same  portion  which  had 
been  read  a  few  moments  before  by  Dr.  Spencer. 

Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith,  vice  president  of  the 
association  and  chairman  of  the  building  com- 
mittee, then  said : 

120 


"Mr.  1 'resident,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  boys 
and  girN : 

"To  every  nation  of  the  earth,  to  every  insti- 
tution of  learning,  to  every  man  born  of  woman 
there  eome>  a  day  which  more  than  any  other 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  life  of  the  nation,  in  the 
life  of  the  institution,  in  the  life  of  the  man. 
That  day,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  Good  Will  Farm, 
will  ever  stand  out  clearly  and  distinctly  as  May 
12,  1903.  History  will  record  that  on  that  day 
the  corner  stone  of  the  "Quincy  Building"  was 
laid  and  that  its  handmaiden  "The  Buckminster" 
was  lovingly  dedicated.  Permit  me  to  say,  sir, 
that  in  my  judgment  this  is  the  most  important 
building  ever  erected  upon  these  grounds  as  an 
integral  part  of  the  manual  training  plant.  In 
behalf  of  my  associates  I  beg  to  report  progress 
and  to  turn  over  to  you,  sir,  this  completed  build- 
ing in  part  fulfillment  of  our  duties." 

In  response  President  Giddings  said : 

"Mr.  Chairman: — In  behalf  of  and  in  the 
name  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  your 
proffered  gift  is  accepted,  in  the  spirit  in  which 
it  is  given,  of  kindness  and  good  will,  and  in  full 
appreciation  of  its  noble  generosity.  There  are 


121 


few  words  in  the  speech  of  mankind  of  whatever 
language,  that  convey  so  much  to  all,  both  young 
and  old,  as  the  one  word  home.  Among  all  the 
beneficent  provisions  made  by  our  Creator  for 
the  comfort  of  humanity,  that  which  instituted 
the  family  and  consequently  the  home,  is  the 
greatest.  However  high  or  low,  however  far 
from  friends  or  from  native  land,  the  heart  ever 
turns  to  its  home. 

"In  a  world  where  evil  as  well  as  good  exists 
it  sometimes  happens  that  some  one  is  deprived 
of  the  blessings  of  a  home.  To  provide  for  such 
is  the  purpose  for  which  this  building  is  to  be 
used,  and  as  its  name  would  seem  to  imply,  so 
far  as  possible  a  mother's  love  and  care.  To 
such  noble  use  it  is  today  dedicated. 

"To  you  who  are  now  in  charge  of  these  inter- 
ests, and  to  those  who  may  come  after  you,  I 
bespeak  that  care  be  taken  that  it  shall  be  forever, 
in  the  largest  possible  degree,  to  those  who  have 
been,  in  the  ordering  of  Providence,  deprived  of 
it — a  home." 

The  congregation  then  sang  "My  Faith  Looks 
up  to  Thee"  and  the  benediction  was  pronounced 
by  Rev.  Dr.  Spencer.  Dinner  was  served  in  the 


122 


•  lining  room  of  the  Buckminster.  At  1.15  the 
directors  held  a  meeting  at  which  important  busi- 
ness was  transacted.  The  election  of  officers  of 
the  Good  Will  Athletic  Association  took  place  at 
two  o'clock.  At  2.30  a  lively  game  of  base-ball 
was  witnessed  on  the  school  diamond  between 
the  first  and  second  Good  Will  nines,  the  second 
niiu  scoring  twice,  though  the  first  nine  of  course 
won  the  game.  Score  10  to  2. 

In  the  evening  two  great  bonfires  were  lighted 
on  the  banks  or  the  Kennebec — one  in  honor  of 
each  ball  team.  The  entire  Good  Will  com- 
munity participated.  Songs  were  sung,  and  there 
was  a  prodigious  amount  of  cheering — cheering 
for  President  Giddings,  for  Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith 
and  each  of  his  guests  just  across  the  Ken- 
bee  at  Rest-awhile,  for  the  teachers,  for  the 
three  New  York  friends  of  Good  Will  ath- 
letics— Broadway,  Cowperthwait  and  Cropsey, 
and  everybody.  It  was  a  great  jollification,  and 
everybody  enjoyed  it. 

The  date  fixed  for  the  dedication  was  Monday, 
July  27.  The  following  brief  account  was 
clipped  from  the  Kennebec  Journal  of  July  28: 

"At  10.30  occurred  the  dedication  of  the 
Onincy  building  for  manual  training,  on  the 


123 


west  bank  of  the  river.     The  following  is  the 
program  as  carried  out : 

Singing — ''Holy,  Holy,  Holy,"  Congregation 

The  Lord's   Prayer,  in   unison,  Congregation 

Scripture  reading    (37th   Psalm), 

Rev.  W.  H.  Spencer,  D.  D. 
Singing— "My  Faith  Looks   Up  to  Thee." 
Report  of  the  building  committee, 

Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith 

Acceptance  of  keys,  Hon.  Nathaniel  Hobbs 

Dedicatory  prayer,  Rev.   Ford  C.   Ottman 

Singing — "How    Firm    a    Foundation." 
Address,  Rev.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.  D. 

Singing — Doxology. 

Mr.  Smith  in  giving  over  the  keys  of  the  build- 
ing to  the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  said: 
"This  building  stands  on  solid  rock  foundation 
and  like  everything  else  at  Good  Will  stands  for 
everything  that  will  enrich  the  lives  of  the  boys 
at  the  Farm  and  will  send  them  away  better  fitted 
to  lead  successful  lives.  The  completion  of  this 
building  welds  together  the  plans  of  Supervisor 
Hinckley  and  of  George  H.  Quincy ;  the  one 
remains,  the  other  though  gone,  yet  speaks  to  us. 
Not  only  does  this  day  mark  the  dedication  of 
this  manual  training  building  but  it  is  as  well  the 


124 


fiftieth  anniversary  of  Mr.   Ilinokley's  birth." 
Judijv    Nathaniel    Hobbs,    in    the   absence   of 
Unt    (iiddings    of   the    Good    Will    Home 
Association,    mvivid    the   keys   to   the   building- 
and  made  a  short  speech  of  acceptance  in  a  pleas- 
ing manner. 

Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman,  D.  D.,  of  New  York 
City,  made  the  address  of  the  morning-.  He  said 
that  the  reason  for  so  much  success  at  the  Farm 
was  apparent  after  considering-  the  Psalm  on 
which  the  work  had  been  founded.  He  compli- 
mented Good  Will  for  the  training-  that  it  pro- 
vides, giving  attention  to  the  development  of 
head,  heart  and  hand,  but  not  emphasizing  one  to 
the  neglect  of  the  others.  Dr.  Chapman's  ad- 
dress was  highly  interesting  and  much  appreci- 
ated by  the  large  attendance. 

After  the  address.  Judge  Hobbs  in  a  most 
charming  manner  presented  to  the  Good  Will 
Home  Association,  in  behalf  of  a  lady  whose 
name  was  not  mentioned,  an  excellent  portrait  of 
Mr.  Hinckley.  This  will  ha-ng  in  the  art  gallery 
in  the  Chas.  E.  Moody  building.  One  of  the 
most  enjoyable  parts  of  the  morning  exercises 
was  another  presentation,  also  made  by  Judge 


125 


Hobbs,  to  Mr.  Hinckley  of  an  envelope  contain- 
ing a  generous  sum  of  money  as  a  token  of  love 
to  him  on  his  fiftieth  birthday  anniversary."' 

The  Quincy  is  a  beautiful  building  and  will 
prove  to  be  admirably  adapted  to  the  purpose  for 
which  it  has  been  provided.  It  is  no  feet  by  98 
feet ;  it  is  built  of  brick  with  trimmings  of  pink 
granite.  The  architect  was  Mr.  W.  R.  Miller  of 
Lewiston ;  the  contractors  were  Horace  Purinton 
and  Company,  Waterville,  Maine;  the  plumbing 
and  heating  was  done  by  Carter  and  Adams  of 
Bangor,  Maine.  The  building  committee  was 
Mr.  Walter  M.  Smith,  Stamford,  Connecticut, 
Mr.  A.  L.  Prescott,  New  York  City,  and  Judge 
Nathaniel  Hobbs,  North  Berwick,  Maine. 

In  the  Quincy  building  there  are  two  floors  and 
a  basement.  In  the  basement  there  are  rooms 
for  printing  press,  laundry,  coat  rooms,  and  other 
arrangements  for  the  convenience  of  teachers  and 
scholars.  The  first  floor  accommodates  the  offices 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  and  the  Good 
Will  Publishing  Company,  the  carpentry  and 
wood  turning  departments.  From  the  first  floor 
a  short  staircase  leads  to  the  iron  working  depart- 
ment and  engine  room.  On  the  second  floor 


126 


there  arc  four  rooms.  One  of  these  is  for 
mechanical  drawing;  another  for  a  chemical 
laboratory ;  the  third  for  class  purposes,  and  the 
fourth  a  storage  closet.  An  arrangement  has 
heen  made  by  which  other  than  Good  Will  boys 
can  take  any  or  all  of  the  courses  provided  for  in 
the  Quincy  Building,  either  as  day  scholars  or 
as  boarders  at  the  Buckminster — the  new  dormi- 
tory dedicated  May  12,  '03. 


127 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


The  completion  of  the  Manual  Training  Build- 
ing and  the  first  dormitory  were  not  to  mark  the 
end  of  Good  Will's  development.  For  fourteen 
years  the  work  had  been  in  progress  showing  a 
steady,  healthful  growth.  Each  summer  the 
sound  of  the  saw  and  hammer  had  been  heard, 
and  each  season  had  witnessed  some  new  devel- 
opments. In  the  summer  of  1903  while  work 
was  in  progress  upon  the  Quincy  Building  and 
the  Buckminster,  two  cottages  were  built  for  the 
accommodation  of  teachers.  There  were  other 
things  to  come  to  pass  in  the  providence  of  God. 
In  March,  1903,  I  received  an  invitation  to  deliv- 
er the  dedicatory  address  at  the  opening  of  the 
building  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  presented  by  Mr. 
Edwin  Bancroft  Foote  of  New  York  City  for  the 
use  of  an  organization  of  New  Haven  working 
boys  known  as  the  "Edwin  Bancroft  Foote  Boys' 
Club."  My  whole  nature  shrinks  from  what  is 
known  as  the  "occasional  address."  I  could  see 
no  reason  why  I  should  have  been  invited  to  give 
the  address  on  the  occasion  of  the  opening  of  that 

128 


building.  After  a  mental  struggle,  the  seventy 
of  which  my  friends  were  in  happy  ignorance,  I 
accepted  the  invitation.  I  .ater  I  was  notified  that 
an  unavoidable  change  in  the  date  of  the  dedica- 
tory service  had  been  made.  This  change  in 
dates  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  notify  the  per- 
sons in  control  of  the  club  that  1  would  have  to 
cancel  my  appointment,  other  engagements  con- 
flicting \\ith  the  new  date.  I  learned  later  that 
a  speaker  had  been  secured  for  the  occasion  and 
then  wrote  to  New  Haven  asking  the  hour  that 
the  services  were  to  be  held,  as  I  had  learned  that 
1  might  possibly  be  present  although  not  to  take 
part  in  the  proceedings.  My  interest  in  this 
undertaking  for  the  New  Haven  boys  was 
prompting  me  to  attend  the  service  if  possible. 
To  my  surprise  I  learned  later  that  the  speaker 
who  had  been  secured  had  been  taken  suddenly 
ill  in  the  Far  West,  and*  would  not  be  able  to 
appear.  A  second  invitation  was  extended  to 
me,  and  this  I  accepted  with  many  misgivings.  I 
had  never  met  those  who  were  in  charge  of  the 
work  in  New  Haven.  I  knew  Edwin  Bancroft 
Foote  of  New  York  only  as  the  man  who  had 
made  the  generous  gift  for  the  benefit  of  the  club 
bearing  his  name.  I  went  to  the  Elm  City  the 

129 


day  before  the  date  of  the  dedicatory  exercises  in 
order  that  I  might  spend  an  evening  with  the 
Boys'  Club,  and  get  somewhat  into  the  spirit  of 
the  work  before  delivering  my  address.  I  was 
introduced  to  Mr.  Foote,  and  we  were  soon 
engaged  in  a  conversation  more  like  that  of  two 
old-time  friends  than  strangers  of  an  hour  before. 
I  shall  never  forget  the  cordiality  of  Mr.  Footers 
greeting  the  morning  after  the  dedicatory  exer- 
cises or  the  pleasant  interview  that  we  held  in 
his  room. 

A  few  weeks  later  Mr.  Foote  went  to  Range- 
ley,  Maine,  to  spend  the  summer.  After  that  I 
received  one  or  two  kind  letters  from  Mr.  Foote 
chiefly  in  relation  to  the  Good  Will  books  and  the 
Good  Will  Record.  I  wanted  to  see  Mr.  Foote, 
and  paid  him  a  visit  at  Rangeley,  Maine.  My 
stay  there,  however,  was  only  from  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening  until  eleven  o'clock  the  next  day. 
The  time  passed  quickly  and  when  I  stated  that  it 
was  time  that  I  should  be  on  my  way  to  the  train 
Mr.  Foote  expressed  surprise  and  regret,  and  told 
me  that  he  had  expected  to  talk  with  me  about 
Good  Will;  that  there  were  questions  that  he 
wanted  to  ask  and  information  that  he  wished  to 
obtain.  I  had  other  appointments,  however,  and 

130 


it  was  necessary  for  me  to  take  the  train.  Mr. 
Foote  asked  me  to  fix  a  date  when  I  could  spend 
another  day  with  him  and  I  promised  him  to 
return  in  about  two  weeks. 

Just  as  1  was  taking  the  train  for  my  second 
trip  to  Rangeley  my  morning's  mail  was  brought 
to  me.  Glancing  through  it  hurriedly  I  turned 
the  business  letters  over  to  my  secretary,  but 
placed  in  my  pocket,  to  read  on  the  train,  one  let- 
ter marked  "Personal"  which  I  recognized  with- 
out opening  as  from  a  former  Good  Will  Farm 
boy.  The  letter  was  read  on  the  train  and  re- 
turned to  my  pocket.  While  it  was  confidential 
I  have  since  secured  the  writer's  permission 
to  publish  such  parts  of  it  as  may  seem  to  com- 
plete this  chapter  or  in  any  way  benefit  Good 
Will.  The  body  of  the  letter  reads  as  follows : 

"I  thank  you  so  much  for  your  kind  interest  in 
me.  I  have  been  so  long  without  fatherly  and 
motherly  interest  that  I  do  not  know  how  to 
appreciate  your  kind  interest  in  my  welfare.  For 
the  past  few  years  there  has  been  but  one  pre- 
dominant thought  in  my  breast  and  that  was  to 
get  somewhere,  be  somebody,  hold  some  responsi- 
bility, be  of  some  value  to  the  world,  and  to  do  it 
quick,  then  turn  to  my  brother  and  say,  "Look !" 


"Yes,"  you  say,  "selfish."  Perhaps  so,  but  do 
you  know,  Mr.  Hinckley,  that  somewhere  in  me, 
I  don't  know  where  it  came  from  nor  why  it  is 
there,  is  a  voice  which  says,  "When  someone  does 
you  a  mean  turn  or  jumps  on  you  in  adversity, 
rise  above  it,  show  them  that  such  a  slight  was 
never  meant  for  you."  When  I  get  there  then  I 
can  forget. 

I  have  a  mother,  O  God,  a  mother  ?  No,  not  a 
mother !  It  makes  the  tears  come  to  my  eyes  to 
think  of  it.  I  know  not  whether  she  is  living  or 
not,  but  I  live  in  the  hopes  that  she  is  living. 
Some  day  I  want  to  say,  "Look  !  you  left  me 
when  I  was  a  youngster.  Look!"  Then  I  can 
forgive. 

I  had  a  father,  he's  dead  and  gone  now.  He 
always  loved  me.  He  always  did  all  he  could  for 
me.  I  realized  it  even  when  I  was  a  little  fellow 
and  many  a  time  while  at  Good  Will  I've  cried 
in  bed  over  his  sorrow  and  hard  life.  I  don't 
think  he  ever  knew  it.  When  I  wrote  that  com- 
position "Myself  in  1918,"  I  could  see  as  plain  as 
day,  my  house  and  father's  home.  That  dream 
is  all  gone.  But  my  father  is  still  in  my  mind. 
Many  the  time  the  thought  of  him  has  kept  me 
from  going  wrong.  I  look  ahead,  I  want  posi- 

132 


tion ;  I  want  honor.  I  want  to  say  to  father 
"Look  !  this  is  how  I  loved  you.  I  am  what  I 
am  for  your  sake.  I  wanted  to  honor  you." 

That  is  why  I  am  self-centered  as  I  am.  I  do 
not  mean  to  be  selfish*.  But  these  are  thoughts 
which  are  stirring  in  my  mind.  I  have  not  talked 
like  this  to  anybody  else.  I  don't  know  why  I 
do  now.  But  every  once  in  a  while  I  have  to  sit 
and  weep.  It  comes  on  me  as  a  spell.  Some  one 
caught  me  at  it  once.  I  feel  it  to-night  as  I  think 
<>f  your  letter.  Sometimes  it  comes  over  me  with 
a  thud,  all  these  thoughts.  I  take  up  a  paper  as 
I  did  the  other  day  and  catch  my  eye  on  a  poem, 
"A  mother's  loving  words  to  her  boy."  I  throw 
aside  the  paper  and  think,  "What  have  I  missed?" 
I  can't  tell,  I  have  only  a  faint  idea  of  what  a 
mother  is  or  can  be.  No,  something  is  lacking, 
I  feel  it  more  and  more,  and  I  throw  aside  the 
paper  and  laugh.  It  would  not  do  to  think  on  it. 

I  look  ahead  with  such  a  longing  for  a  home 
of  my  own.  I  want  someone  to  love  me.  I 
could  do  anything  for  them.  Then  I  wonder, 
"Will  my  home  break  up?  Shall  I  be  unhappy 
then?"  And  I  shudder  to  think  of  it. 

My  life  seems  to  be  a  quandary.  But  I  live 
with  that  thought  uppermost,  as  Shakespeare 

133 


expresses  "To  be  or  not  to  be."  But  with  me  it 
is  "To  be."  I  write  this  in  a  personal  way  to 
you.  It  is  confidential.  Perhaps  I  may  never 
amount  to  anything.  But  I  do  see  a  chance  on 
the  other  side,  that  chance  is  the  one  I  am  grasp- 
ing for.  If  I  slip  and  lose  my  hold,  it  is  fate. 
However  my  eye  is  on  that  chance.  You  will 
understand  me  now.  You  have  been  the  greatest 
factor  in  making  me  whatever  I  am  and  I  want 
to  say  to  you,  "Look !  I  am  an  honor  to  you  and 
Good  Will."  Of  course  I  am  under  God's  will. 
My  will  is  His  will. 

Your  loving  friend, 


That  evening  after  asking  many  kind  questions 
of  me  about  Good  Will  Mr.  Foote  made  a  contri- 
bution of  three  hundred  dollars  toward  the  cur- 
rent expenses  of  the  work.  In  the  course  of  the 
conversation  it  occurred  to  me  that  he  might  be 
interested  in  the  letter  from  the  former  Good 
Will  farm  boy.  I  read  a  part  of  it  to  him  with- 
holding the  name  and  the  whereabouts  of  the 
young  man  because  the  letter  was  of  a  personal 
character  and  I  read  it  to  him  only  that  he  might 
see  the  spirit  and  the  earnestness  of  one  of  the 

134 


to  whom  the  Good  Will  Home  Association 
had  in  the  past  extended  a  helping  hand.  I  came 
away  from  Rangeley  a  happy  man  for  1  realized 
what  a  strongly  sympathetic  friend  I  had  found 
in  Mr.  Foote. 

After  that  I  received  several  letters  from  him 
each  showing  an  interest  in  the  work,  but  having 
to  do  chiefly  with  Good  Will  literature.  In 
replying  to  one  of  Mr.  Foote's  on  Jan.  22nd,  I 
a-ked  him  to  bear  in  mind  that  if  he  felt  lonely  in 
his  winter  quarters,  or  as  though  he  would  like 
to  see  a  face  from  outside  the  village,  that  I 
would  be  pleased  to  visit  him  again.  On  January 
28th  Mr.  Foote  wrote: 

"I  especially  note  your  offer  to  come  to 
Rangeley  whenever  I  feel  I  would  like  to  see 
your  face  or  hear  your  voice.  Well,  that's  pre- 
cisely as  I  have  been  feeling — to  borrow  a  favor- 
ite expression  of  some  olden-time,  native-born 
New  Yorker — for  'quite  sometime/  As  nearly 
as  I  can  diagnose  my  own  case,  I  believe  I  have 
been  struck  by  an  idea  and  need  your  counsel. 
Will  you  please  write  and  name  the  earliest  even- 
ing and  following  day  you  can  conveniently 
arrange  to  be  my  guest?" 

In  response  to  this  kind  invitation  I  reached 

135 


Rangeley  in  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  6th.  Mr. 
Foote  had  carefully  prepared  for  our  interview 
and  had  drawn  up  the  following  agreement: 

"Mutual  agreement  between  Edwin  Bancroft 
Foote  of  the  City,  County  and  State  of  New  York 
and  the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  a  corpora- 
tion located  in  the  town  of  Fairfield  in  the  State 
of  Maine. 

Said  Edwin  Bancroft  Foote  agrees  to  pay  to 
said  Association  $50,000.00  (Fifty  Thousand 
Dollars)  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  on  the  prem- 
ises now  owned  in  said  Fairfield  by  said  Associa- 
tion, a  cottage  for  Boys  to  be  known  forever  as 
the  "Bancroft  Foote  Cottage"  to  be  used  in  pro- 
moting the  purposes  of  said  Association,  and 
further  agrees  in  sixty  days  from  the  date  hereof 
to  deliver  to  said  Association  at  the  Lincoln  Safe 
Deposit  Company's  office  in  the  City  of  New 
York  the  following  Bonds,  Stock,  &c.,  all  of 
which  said  Association  agrees  to  accept  as 
equivalent  to  Fifty  Thousand  Dollars — viz. :" 

Here  followed  a  statement  in  detail  of  the 
property  referred  to  in  the  agreement.  We  both 
signed  the  agreement  and  it  was  duly  witnessed. 
A  great  storm  prevented  the  transfer  of  the  prop- 
erty on  the  first  date  fixed  for  our  meeting  in 

136 


THE  CARNEGIE  LIBRARY  BUILDING' 


THE  MANUAL  TRAINING  BUILDING 


New  York.  It  was  expressly  agreed  that  no 
announcement  of  Mr.  Foote's  gift  should  be 
made  until  after  the  property  had  been  trans- 
ferred. The  transfer  was  actually  accomplished 
in  New  York  City  April  2Oth,  '04,  and  I  was  then 
at  liberty  to  share  the  secret  which  I  had  cher- 
ished for  several  weeks,  with  the  friends  of  Good 
Will  everywhere. 

The  general  plan  for  the  Bancroft  Foote  House 
had  already  been  decided  upon,  and  an  architect 
had  been  instructed  to  prepare  specifications.  If 
the  dedication  of  the  long-looked-for  and 
expected  Manual  Training  Building  closed  a 
chapter  in  the  history  of  Good  Will,  surely  Mr. 
Foote's  splendid  gift  opened  a  new  one.  It  set 
an  example  for  others ;  it  was  epoch  making  for 
it  opened  a  new  order  of  things  at  Good  Will 
Farm.  The  work  had  received  splendid  gifts 
each  of  which  had  proved  a  blessing  to  humanity, 
but  Mr.  Foote  was  the  first  one  to  make  a  gift  so 
large  that  it  not  only  provided  a  home  for  boys, 
but  a  permanent  income  for  that  home's  support. 

These  facts  are  worthy  of  note :  first,  that  when 
Mr.  Foote  made  his  first  contribution  to  the  work 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association — ($300.00) 
I  extended  my  hand  and  expressed  my  personal 

137 


gratitude.  Mr.  Foote  replied  "It  is  a  pleasure  to 
do  this.  I  wanted  to  do  it,  but  let  me  say  that  if 
you  had  come  here  and  asked  me  for  this  money 
you  would  not  have  received  one  cent."  Second, 
that  the  letter  which  arrived  just  as  I  was  starting 
on  my  journey  to  visit  Mr.  Foote,  a  portion  of 
which  I  read  to  him,  was  the  thing  that  led  him 
to  make  his  generous  gift  of  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars; and  thirdly,  he  wished  it  to  be  distinctly 
understood  that  this  larger  contribution  as  well 
as  the  smaller  one  was  entirely  unsolicited. 

A  site  for  this  new  home  was  selected  just 
North  of  Mary  Louisa  Hall  Cottage  in  deference 
to  the  original  plan  to  eventually  have  three  cot- 
tages or  homes  on  that  part  of  Good  Will  Farm — 
a  trio  of  homes  of  which  Hall  Cottage  was  to  be 
the  center.  Ground  was  broken  for  the  Bancroft 
Foote  House  May  25th,  '04,  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  The  Good  Will  Farm  boys  and  their 
teachers  were  present.  The  following  order  of 
exercises  was  observed : 
Singing, — My  Faith  Looks  up  to  Thee. 
Reading  Scripture,  Thirty-seventh  Psalm.  Rev. 

G.  K.  Rouillard. 

Singing, — How  Firm  a  Foundation. 
Prayer,— Rev.  G.  W.  Hinckley. 
Singing, — America. 

138 


The  first  turf  was  turned  by  Prof.  A.  L.  Lane 
while  three  times  three  were  given  with  great 
enthusiasm  for  Mr.  Edwin  Bancroft  Foote  of 
New  York,  the  absent  donor  of  the  home  and  its 
endowment. 

The  day  for  the  dedication  of  the  Bancroft 
Foote  House — Dec.  2ist,  '04 — dawned  bright  and 
clear.  At  an  early  hour  friends  interested  in  the 
building  and  in  the  dedicatory  services  which 
were  to  be  held  at  half  past  ten  o'clock  began  to 
swarm  through  the  building.  Promptly  at  the 
hour  the  following  program  was  carried  out: 

Singing,  "Hark,  Hark  My  Soul,"  by  a  chorus 
of  Good  Will  boys  and  girls. 

Report  of  the  building  committee  by  Mr.  Wal- 
ter M.  Smith  of  Stamford,  Conn. 

Presentation  of  the  keys  by  Rev.  George  W. 
Hinckley. 

Acceptance  of  the  gift  by  Judge  Nathaniel 
Hobbs  of  North  Berwick,  Me. 

Singing,  "God  Has  a  Plan  For  Every  Life," 
by  choir  of  Good  Will  girls. 

The  reading  of  the  37th  Psalm  by  Rev.  Chas. 
Woodman,  pastor  of  the  Friends'  Church,  Port- 
land. 


139 


Dedicatory  prayer  by  Charles  Lincoln  White, 
President  of  Colby  College. 

Singing,  "I'll  Answer  With  The  Best  There's 
In  Me,"  by  a  choir  of  Good  Will  boys. 

Address  by  Rev.  Raymond  Caulkins,  pastor  of 
the  State  Street  Congregational  Church,  Port- 
land, Me. 

Doxology   and   benediction. 

A  special  service  of  praise  was  held  in  the 
Moody  Memorial  Chapel  in  the  evening.  To 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  progress  and 
development  of  the  work  at  Good  Will  it  was  an 
interesting  fact  that  the  week  which  witnessed 
the  completion  of  the  Bancroft  Foote  House  by 
the  carpenters,  marked  the  receipt  of  a  fund  of 
five  thousand  dollars  for  another  building  at  Good 
Will  Farm  which  will  materialize  in  the  future. 


140 


CHAPTER  XV. 

The  winter  recess  was  ended ;  school  had 
opened  for  the  long  term  Wednesday  morning 
and  the  first  days  had  passed  pleasantly.  Satur- 
day afternoon  Mr.  Watson,  the  Principal  of  the 
Good  Will  Schools,  had  spent  a  little  time  in  his 
office  in  the  Charles  E.  Moody  building.  But  no 
fire  had  been  built  on  the  open  hearth.  Roberts, 
the  assistant  janitor,  had  done  his  work  for  the 
week  and  at  four  o'clock  had  left  the  building, 
turning  the  key  in  the  door.  It  was  customary 
for  the  Good  Will  boys  to  take  a  shower  bath  in 
the  basement  Saturday  afternoons  and  whenever 
that  was  done  a  fire  was  necessary  in  that  place; 
but  because  of  the  water-famine  in  the  land  the 
boys  had  taken  other  baths. 

It  was  silent  winter  in  Maine ;  it  was  Saturday 
night  at  Good  Will ;  the  old  year  was  dying.  At 
half-past  seven  the  community  was  startled  by 
the  alarm  of  fire.  Manager  Barnard  and  Princi- 
pal Watson  were  in  Bailey  Cottage ;  they  saw  in 
an  instant  that  there  was  a  mass  of  flame  on  the 
hill  where  the  educational  buildings  stood. 

141 


"Shall  we  come?"  the  boys  asked  as  the  men 
hurried  toward  the  fire. 

"Not  unless  I  send  for  you,"  was  the  reply. 

In  my  own  home  at  Willow-wood,  a  mile  away, 
I  had  spent  a  quiet  evening.  I  was  to  preach  in 
the  Good  Will  chapel  the  next  day ;  my  text  was 
selected  and  the  plan  of  the  discourse  had  been 
thought  out.  One  of  my  family  chanced  to  look 
out  of  the  window  toward  the  south,  and  saw  a 
great  mass  of  flame  and  smoke  in  the  vicinity  of 
Good  Will.  I  was  called  to  the  window,  and  one 
glance  was  enough  to  fill  me  with  apprehension. 
I  rushed  to  the  telephone  and  called  up  the  house 
nearest  to  Good  Will  Farm. 

"Where's  the  fire?"  I  asked;  "tell  me  quick." 

"Fire?"  replied  the  young  man  at  the  tele- 
phone. "What  is  the  joke?  What  are  you  giv- 
ing us?" 

"No  joke,"  I  shouted.  "Look  out  of  your 
window  and  tell  me  quick." 

There  was  an  instant  of  silence  and  then  came 
the  hasty  reply : 

"The  Moody  Building's  burning;  it's  all  in 
flames." 

The  receiver  was  instantly  clapped  into  place 
by  the  young  man,  and  I  knew  it  was  useless  for 

142 


me  to  try  to  get  him  again  even  if  I  was  willing 
to  wait  for  more  information  over  the  wire;  he 
had  started  for  the  fire. 

The  boys  watched  the  flames  from  their  cot- 
tages ;  Mr.  Barnard  reached  the  building,  and 
quickly  sent  back  for  the  larger  boys  to  come 
with  buckets,  but  the  north  end  was  in  flames — 
all  entrances  to  the  building  were  cut  off;  the 
beautiful  structure  was  doomed.  The  origin  of 
the  fire,  as  stated  in  the  supplement  to  the  Janu- 
ary Record  was  a  mystery;  it  is  today.  Not  an 
article  was  saved ;  in  an  hour  the  roof  had  fallen 
and  parts  of  the  wall  had  caved.  It  was  a  quiet 
crowd  that  watched  the  work  of  destruction ;  the 
boys  standing  in  groups  talked  in  undertones ;  so 
did  I,  and  I  could  not  tell  why.  The  flames  cast 
a  red  glow  on  the  snow-clad  hills  far  away,  and 
alarmed  neighbors  who  left  their  homes  and  ar- 
rived in  teams  to  aid  if  possible  in  staying  the 
destruction.  They  came  silently  and  took  their 
places  among  those  who  could  look  but  could  not 
help.  The  next  day  a  Good  Will  Alumnus,  said : 

"Last  night  it  seemed  as  though  I  were  stand- 
ing by  the  side  of  a  sick  friend  watching  him 
die." 

Then  I  understood  the  subdued,  solemn  atti- 


tude  of  the  crowd.  The  building  had  been  there 
for  nine  years;  it  had  proved  a  blessing  to  the 
community  and  to  the  surrounding  country. 
Unconsciously  the  people  had  come  to  regard  it 
as  a  familiar  friend — just  as  one  comes  to  love 
the  face  of  a  companion — and  now  it  was  doomed 
and,  like  one  who  must  die,  it  was  in  a  last 
agony.  The  crowd  gradually  disappeared; 
Good  Will  slept,  all  except  Mr.  Barnard  and 
Roberts.  These  watched  the  ruins  till  morning. 
Early  the  next  day  teams  began  to  arrive. 
They  drove  in  front  of  the  building  and  one  by 
one  passed  it.  There  was  no  collection  of  teams 
or  of  people  at  any  one  time  but  till  night-fall  the 
place  was  visited.  It  was  as  though  some 
mighty  man  had  died  in  the  night — some  one 
whom  the  people  so  loved  that  he  must  lie  in 
state  in  order  that  they  might  look  upon  him. 
At  one  o'clock  the  Sunday-School  was  held  as 
usual.  Roberts,  pale  from  the  strain  and  watch- 
ing of  the  night  before,  superintended  as  usual, 
and  at  two  o'clock  came  the  regular  service  in 
the  Moody  Memorial  chapel.  I  had  made  quite 
different  plans  for  the  day  but  took  my  text  from 
Isaiah  43:3 — "When  thou  walkest  through  the 
fire,"  and  said,  in  part : 

144 


A  few  years  ago  when  I  was  about  to  sail  for 
England  a  good  woman — a  Christian  friend — 
sent  me  the  entire  verse  from  which  I  have  taken 
my  text,  "When  thou  passest  through  the  waters, 
I  will  be  with  thee ;  and  through  the  rivers,  they 
shall  not  overflow  thee ;  when  thou  walkest 
through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burned; 
neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee."  On 
the  voyage  the  steamer  was  on  fire  for  five  hours 
in  mid-ocean  and  for  a  time  her  fate  and  ours 
was  in  question.  On  reaching  home  the  good 
woman  wrote  that  she  had  no  thought  when  she 
sent  me  the  verse  that  I  would  have  need  of 
aught  but  the  first  part.  After  the  scenes  of  last 
evening  my  mind  turns  almost  instinctively  to  the 
verse  again.  I  shall  not  attempt  an  exposition 
of  it ;  but  you  always  expect  a  text  at  these  after- 
noon services. 

Nine  years  ago  today  a  large  number  of 
friends  visited  Good  Will  Farm.  They  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  state  to  be  present  at  the 
dedication  of  the  Charles  E.  Moody  building. 
They  roamed  through  the  splendid  edifice,  con- 
gratulated the  Good  Will  Home  Association  and 
praised  the  donors.  It  was  a  happy  occasion 
and  one  full  of  hope  for  humanity.  A  change 

145 


has  come ;  disaster  has  fallen  upon  us.  Today 
the  building  is  a  mass  of  smouldering  ruin. 
There  are  some  things  to  be  said. 

I.  There  is  a  right  name  for  the  event  of  last 
night.     Calamity  comes  from  the  word  calamus, 
a  reed  or  corn  stalk ;  for  when  corn  did  not  ripen 
or  get  out  of  the  stalk  it  was  called  a  calamus,  or 
calamity.     Such  an  occurrence  meant  very  gen- 
eral distress — more  widespread  than  has  befallen 
us.     This  is  not  a  calamity. 

Misfortune  is  a  personal  loss  or  accident. 
Had  the  building  been  mine  the  loss  would  have 
been  my  misfortune :  but  that  which  has  occurred 
is  of  larger  moment. 

There  is  another  word.  It  comes  from  the 
Latin  "dis"  and  "astra" — stars.  It  dates  back 
to  the  times  when  men  believed  in  the  influence 
of  stars  upon  persons,  things,  and  events.  That 
which  came  suddenly,  unexpectedly  and  without 
reason  to  blight  or  cripple  was  called  "from  the 
stars"  or  "dis-astra."  So  this  thing  seems  to 
have  come  upon  us;  though  I  do  not  believe  in 
the  influence  of  stars  or  planets  nor  do  you. 

II.  This  is  a  time  for  gratitude.     The  Charles 
E.  Moody  building  is  destroyed  with  its  contents : 
not  a  thing  was  saved  from  the  ruin.     But  noth- 

146 


ing  else  was  lost.  Had  the  fire  occurred  a  week 
ago  when  two  hundred  of  us  were  gathered  for 
the  Christmas  celebration;  had  an  unreasonable 
effort  to  save  some  part  of  the  building  resulted 
in  the  loss  of  life  or  had  the  flames  reached  other 
buildings  the  disaster  would  have  been  worse — 
far  worse.  One  Sunday  I  strolled  into  a  great 
church  in  a  New  England  city  and  heard  a  ser- 
mon. The  preacher  spent  a  part  of  the  time  ridi- 
culing people  who  try  to  comfort  themselves  and 
others  by  the  thought  or  suggestion  that  things 
are  "not  as  bad  as  they  might  be."  If  to  do  this 
is  to  be  ridiculous  then  you  may  pour  forth  your 
ridicule  upon  me  today.  I  tell  you  things  are  sel- 
dom as  bad  as  the  worst  or  as  sad  the  saddest. 
It  would  take  ten  thousand  sermons  like  the  one 
I  refer  to  and  a  regiment  of  men  besides  to  con- 
vince me  today  that  we  have  not  much  to  be 
thankful  for  that  the  disaster  was  not  greater. 

III.  There  are  many  things  in  the  building 
that  money  cannot  replace.  It  was  a  repository 
for  nuclei.  When  I  was  a  boy,  Mr.  S.  Ward 
Loper,  now  of  Wesleyan  University,  gave  me 
three  specimens — limestone  from  Mammoth 
Cave,  sulphur  from  Mt.  Vesuvius  and  a  bit  of 
fossil.  I  felt  rich  that  day  and  cherished  them 

147 


with  the  strange  boyish  idea  that  they  were  the 
beginning  of  a  great  educational  museum. 
Those  three  bits  were  in  that  building  sur- 
rounded with  the  splendid  array  of  specimens 
which  they  had  attracted. 

The  first  book  I  ever  bought  with  my  own 
earnings  was  Beecher's  Lectures  to  Young  Men. 
I  labeled  it;  cherished  it;  almost  doted  on  it  as 
the  beginning  of  a  library  for  such  an  institution 
as  I  was  dreaming  about.  When  Good  Will 
cottage  was  opened  I  placed  eleven  books  with 
it  on  a  shelf  and  there  was  the  nucleus  of  the  li- 
brary burned  last  night.  There  were  other  be- 
ginnings and  there  were  articles  without  dupli- 
cate in  the  world. 

IV.  Two  lessons  are  to  be  mentioned. 
I.  There  is  a  homely  saying  that  "it  is  not 
wise  to  put  all  the  eggs  in  one  basket."  That  is 
what  we  did.  It  would  have  been  bad  enough 
had  we  lost  the  school  building;  but  to  lose  a 
library  worthy  of  a  building  by  itself — and  to 
lose  a  museum,  the  accumulation  of  many  years, 
and  which  we  hoped  was  to  be  eventually  under 
a  separate  roof — to  have  all  these  go  at  once  be- 
cause the  "eggs  were  all  in  one  basket"  was  a 
disaster  indeed.  I  hope  when  the  schoolhouse  is 

148 


THE    BUCKMINSTER 


BA  N C R O FT-FOOT I .   ftOUS  K 


rebuilt,  as  it  surely  will  be,  that  a  new  library 
which  we  will  eventually  have  can  be  under  a 
separate  roof.  I  shall  ask  that  it  be  clone. 

II.  The  building  was  a  memorial.  The  walls 
of  brick  and  brown  stone  have  fallen.  But  the 
good  name  of  Charles  E.  Moody  is  unsmirched; 
his  character  remains  untouched.  The  Me- 
morial smoulders ;  the  good  name  shines.  Monu- 
ments crumble ;  character  alone  endures. 

At  the  close  of  the  sermon  a  hymn  was  an- 
nounced. After  it  had  been  sung  the  audience 
stood  with  bowed  head  for  the  customary  bene- 
diction to  be  pronounced ;  but  I  said,  "Wait  a 
moment.  Something  has  occurred  to  me  while 
this  hymn  was  being  sung.  I  have  told  you  how 
the  library  we  have  lost  began.  I  think  that  the 
beginning  of  that  library  was  due  to  the  inspira- 
tion which  came  to  me  when  a  boy,  as  I  saw  the 
monument  which  marks  the  site  where  Yale 
college  began.  The  words  on  the  monument 
were  uttered  by  ministers  in  the  New  Haven 
Colony  as  they  brought  books  from  their  libraries 
and  placing  them  upon  a  table  said,  'I  give  these 
books  to  found  a  college/  There  is  no  college  in 
this  community;  there  never  will  be,  but  a  com- 
mon school  education  for  the  many  is  more  im- 

149 


portant  than  a  college  education  for  the  few. 
I'd  rather  found  a  library  for  the  boys  who  are 
here  and  are  to  come  in  the  future,  than  to  found 
a  college  library.  Next  Wednesday  evening  in- 
stead of  the  usual  evening  meeting  which  I  an- 
nounced a  few  minutes  ago  we  will  have  a  special 
service  in  this  chapel.  In  course  of  the  service 
I  shall  lay  a  few  books  upon  the  table  and  say  'I 
give  these  books  to  found  a  library.  If  any  one 
here  has  a  book  to  spare  that  would  be  of  value 
in  a  library,  or  if  he  can  afford  to  buy  one  I  hope 
he  will  follow  me.'  " 

That  evening  one  of  the  older  boys  said  to  me : 

"I've  only  one  book  in  the  world,  but  if  that 
will  be  any  good  I  want  to  give  it." 

It  was  a  cloth-bound  dictionary — a  Christmas 
gift  to  the  boy  a  few  days  before. 

Monday  morning  a  boy  called  at  the  super- 
visor's office  and  said : 

"I  haven't  any  books  but  there's  what  money 
I  have.  I  want  to  give  it  for  books." 

It  was  a  crisp  $2.00  bill  which  had  been  sent  to 
him  for  a  Christmas  gift — all  he  had. 

"I've  written  to  the  woman  who  sent  me  the 
money,"  he  said,  "to  ask  if  she  approves  of  my 
giving  it,  but  I  know  well  enough  she  will." 

ISO 


The  story  of  the  Good  Will  girls'  homes  and 
how  they  were  started  by  two  Good  Will  boys 
who  each  gave  a  nickel  for  such  a  purpose,  and 
the  growth  of  the  fund  thus  started  until  the 
girls  have  today  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of 
land,  two  cottages,  a  gardener's  house,  and  a 
school  building,  is  familiar  to  the  Good  Will  boys 
and  perhaps  it  is  an  inspiration  to  them ;  for  on 
Tuesday  a  boy  wanted  to  see  me  alone.  He 
said: 

"You  needn't  mentiorcour  names  but  Will  and 
I  have  each  given  fifty  cents  to  begin  a  library 
building;  here's  the  money." 

Wednesday  evening  came,  the  date  for  the 
special  meeting,  but  a  great  storm  was  on  and 
the  founding  of  the  library  was  postponed  till 
Friday  evening.  Friday  evening  came ;  weather 
conditions  prevented  the  attendance  of  people 
who  doubtless  would  have  attended  had  the 
weather  and  travel  been  fair.  After  singing  by 
the  congregation,  two  selections  by  the  male 
quartet,  a  solo  by  Rev.  I.  B.  Mower  of  Water- 
ville,  the  reading  of  Scripture  and  prayer  by 
Prof.  A.  L.  Lane,  I  explained  why  I  was  first 
bringing  a  nicely  bound  copy  of  the  Bible  to  the 
table.  To  this  I  added  volumes  which  began 


departments  in  history,  biography,  fiction,  science 
and  poetry. 

As  soon  as  this  was  done  others  began,  one  at 
a  time,  to  deposit  their  contributions,  each  say- 
ing: 

"I  give  these  books  to  found  a  library." 

It  was  evident  that  a  large  portion  of  the 
books  offered  had  been  received  by  the  boys  as 
Christmas  presents.  Teachers,  boys  and  girls 
had  a  share  in  the  exercise.  When  the  service 
was  ended  it  was  announced  that  ninety-nine 
persons  had  stepped  to  the  table  making  an  offer- 
ing, not  including  Rev.  I.  B.  Mower,  who  had 
brought  about  forty  books  from  his  own  home 
and  from  one  other  contributor  in  Waterville ;  so 
there  were  just  one  hundred  contributors  to  the 
library  present. 

When  Manager  Barnard's  turn  came  he 
stepped  forward  and  said : 

"I  give  this  book  and  ninety-nine  others  to 
found  a  library." 

One  boy,  a  day  scholar  who  walked  about 
three  miles  daily  to  the  school  said,  "I  give  the 
Encyclopedia  Brittanica  in  twenty-five  volumes 
to  found  a  library." 

One  little  tot — the  smallest  girl  in  the  girls* 

152 


homes — made  the  journey  down  the  long  aisle 
and  placing  three  books  upon  the  table,  repeated 
the  formula.  It  was  learned  that  there  were  sev- 
eral boys  at  the  farm  who  were  anxious  to  have 
a  share  in  the  undertaking  who  did  not  possess  a 
book  to  their  names,  but  there  were  other  young 
fellows  more  fortunate,  who,  as  they  learned  of 
one  and  another  of  this  class,  shared  their  pos- 
sessions with  them. 

While  the  books  were  being  carried  up  one 
small  boy  was  found  in  tears  in  the  audience 
because  he  had  no  book  to  give.  A  larger  boy 
quickly  passed  him  one  of  his  own  bunch  so  that 
the  little  fellow  made  his  journey  with  the  rest. 
After  all  the  books  had  been  deposited,  an- 
nouncements of  gifts  from  outside  parties  were 
made. 

A  letter  was  read  from  W.  W.  Drew,  superin- 
tendent of  schools  of  Fairfield,  a  former  Good 
Will  boy,  stating  that  he  had  ordered  a  set  of 
Elijah  Kellogg' s  works  to  be  shipped  im- 
mediately to  Good  Will.  Rev.  H.  W.  Kimball  of 
South  Weymouth,  Mass.,  who  in  years  past  had 
been  a  frequent  preacher  in  the  Moody  Me- 
morial Chapel,  had  written  that  one  hundred 
books  from  his  father's  home  were  on  the  way. 

153 


Then  it  came  to  light  that  some  of  the  older  boys 
in  their  own  way  and  on  their  own  account  had 
circulated  a  subscription  paper  among  matrons, 
teachers  and  others  in  the  community,  in  the  in- 
terests of  a  library  building,  and  an  envelope 
containing  $85  was  passed  to  me.  I  received  it, 
fully  persuaded  that  such  a  building  could  be 
provided  by  popular  subscription.  But  I  be- 
lieved that  it  was  possible  that  some  generous- 
hearted  friend  would  see  fit  to  donate  such  a 
building  and  a  fund  sufficient  to  care  for  it,  and 
as  this  subscription  paper  was  started  by  the 
boys  without  my  knowledge,  I  was  intensely 
pleased  over  what  had  been  done  as  well  as  sur- 
prised at  the  amount  they  had  succeeded  in  rais- 
ing. 

The  total  of  books  presented  at  the  meeting, 
either  by  persons  who  were  present  or  by  letter, 
was  something  over  five  hundred. 

The  destruction  of  the  Charles  E.  Moody 
building  by  fire  at  Good  Will  Farm  on  New 
Year's  eve  was  a  disaster  entailing  heavy  loss  to 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association  and  to  its 
benevolent  work.  It  came  a  few  days  after  the 
dedication  of  the  beautiful  Bancroft-Foote  house, 
and  at  the  opening  of  the  winter  term  of  school. 

154 


The  workers  were  inclined  to  do  the  "next  best 
tiling."  and  this  greatly  simplified  matters. 

Before  ten  o'clock  Saturday  evening,  Dec.  31, 
the  building  was  completely  destroyed.  Sunday, 
Jan.  ist,  all  the  services  at  the  farm — Sunday- 
schools,  afternoon  preaching  service  and  evening 
meetings — were  held  as  usual ;  it  was  not  till 
Monday  morning  that  the  real  problems  were 
faced. 

C "hairs  from  the  chapel  were  placed  in  the 
north  room  of  the  manual  training  building  and 
the  opening  exercises  of  the  schools  were  held  at 
9.30,  only  half  an  hour  later  than  they  would 
have  begun  had  the  schoolhouse  not  been 
destroyed. 

The  agent  of  a  text-book  firm  was  telephoned 
for  and  text-books  were  ordered  by  the  hundred, 
for  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  books  were 
needed  at  once.  Five  out  of  a  possible  twelve 
recitations  in  the  High  school  were  held  that  day. 
The  books  arrived  a  day  later  and  matters  began 
to  move  smoothly  again.  It  was  an  unique  sight 
when  strangers  visited  the  school  that  week.  A 
look  into  the  carpentry  room  one  day  revealed 
a  class  of  eight  of  the  High  school  sitting  on  a 
pile  of  boards — stock  for  the  carpentry  depart- 

155 


ment — reciting  to  a  teacher  sitting  on  a  higher 
pile  of  lumber ;  six  boys,  close  by,  working  at  the 
carpenter's  benches — one  boy  driving  nails  into 
a  half  completed  box  and  another  taking  his  first 
lesson  on  the  grindstone. 

It  was  never  intended  that  the  departments 
should  encroach  upon  each  other;  but  the  boys 
showed  a  splendid  spirit  through  it  all.  A 
square  piece  of  board,  hastily  planed  by  the  car- 
penter boys,  was  a  poor  substitute  for  a  modern 
school  desk,  but  such  make-shifts  were  welcomed 
till  desks  could  come. 

I  felt — yes,  we  all  knew — that  the  structure 
would  have  to  be  rebuilt  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment;  but  there  were  many  who  said  that 
there  had  been  too  much  in  the  building  and  that 
a  new  structure  should  be  used  for  school  pur- 
poses only.  A  separate  building  was  desirable 
for  the  library  although  just  then  we  had  less 
than  a  thousand  volumes.  But  so  small  a  library 
as  that  could  surely  grow,  for  did  not  the  first 
library  at  Good  Will  begin  with  something  like 
a  dozen  books  from  my  own  home,  and  had  not 
this  new  library  to  take  its  place  already  in- 
creased from  a  few  volumes  from  my  own  book- 
shelf into  a  collection  of  several  hundred? 

156 


The  Charles  E.  Moody  building  was  insured 
for  $18,000  but  there  were  valuable  possessions 
in  the  museum — rare  books,  objects  of  historical 
value  and  portraits — which  money  could  not 
replace.  The  disaster  had  one  great  comfort 
hidden  under  the  dark  clouds :  I  refer  to  the  let- 
ters of  sympathy  and  encouragement  that  came 
from  many  parts  of  the  country.  There  is  space 
here  for  only  a  few,  but  the  few  will  show  the 
spirit,  the  intense  earnestness,  in  all.  Several 
were  from  former  Good  Will  boys  and  girls,  and 
these  can  easily  be  identified  by  the  language 
used. 

"I  feel  that  the  destruction  of  the  Moody 
Building  is  like  a  personal  loss  to  me.  I  can  only 
repeat  to  you  what  I  said  to  my  wife  Saturday 
night — I  would  rather  it  had  been  my  own  house. 
The  building  can  be  replaced,  but  a  library  or 
museum  is  a  matter  of  growth.  Whenever  you 
get  accommodations  to  begin  a  new  library, 
please  look  to  me  for  a  dozen  volumes  along  any 
line  that  you  may  suggest." 
FAIRFIELD,  ME. 

"I  need  not  tell  you  how  I  felt  when  I  heard  of 
the  fire.  But  this  we  know — we  love  God;  we 

157 


also  know  that  the  Book  says  all  things  work  to- 
gether for  good ;  lastly,  we  know  God  never  de- 
ceives us.  'If  it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told 
you.'  Sight  says,  'I  can't  see  it.'  Faith  says, 
'don't  worry.'  We  walk  by  faith — not  by  sight. 
This  is  what  we  say  when  we  preach  and  there 
is  no  cloud.  Let  us  be  consistent,  and  when  we 
are  not  preaching  and  when  the  cloud  hangs 
low,  let  us  trust  Him.  His  interest  in  the  mat- 
ter is  larger  than  ours.  His  wisdom  is  better. 
His  power  greater.  I  know  these  things  better 
now  than  I  did  six  months  ago." 
BANGOR,  ME. 

"On  coming  to  the  office  this  morning  I  was 
stunned  by  the  information  of  the  fire  at  Good 
Will.  Why?  Why?  Why?  is  the  question  which 
keeps  coming  up  in  my  mind.  It  seems  mighty 
hard  coming  as  it  does  at  this  time  when  you 
need  rest  and  freedom  from  care  and  when  the 
school  is  moving  along  so  finely.  I  cannot  un- 
derstand it  all  but  I  suppose  God,  in  his  all  wise 
providence  knows  what  the  fire  will  eventually 
do  for  the  Farm.  It  has  been  hard  to  apply  my- 
self to  my  work  since  having  the  news  so  I  got 
down  the  Story  of  Good  Will  again  and  read  it 

158 


over,  and  as  I  read  it  my  faith  in  God  grew 
stronger  and  I  began  to  realize  as  never  before 
that  he  who  begun  this  wonderful  work  would 
'see  it  through.' " 

NEW  HAVEN,  CONN. 

"  'All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God,  to  them  who  are  the  called  ac- 
cording to  his  purpose.'  If  ever  a  man  was 
'called'  to  his  life-work  you  were ;  so  this  which 
seems  so  awful  to  us  must  be  one  of  the  'all 
things.'  We  cannot  understand  why  the  beauti- 
ful Chas.  E.  Moody  building  should  burn,  but 
the  fact  that  it  has,  gives  me  an  impulse  to  work 
for  Good  Will  Farm  that  I  never  knew  before. 
It  touches  me  in  a  way  that  almost  never  before 
have  I  been  touched.  I  feel  as  though  I  could  go 
out  and  raise  thousands  of  dollars  for  your  work. 
I  believe  God,  and  expect  Him  to  do  great  things 
for  it." 

BANGOR. 

"I  read  in  last  evening's  paper,  with  sincere 
sorrow,  the  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  Chas. 
E.  Moody  building,  by  fire,  on  Saturday  night. 
I  just  want  you  to  know  that  in  this  severe  loss 

159 


to  the  Farm,  which  must  fall  especially  heavy 
on  you,  and  your  feelings  just  now,  you  have  my 
deep  sympathy  and  prayers.  Psalms  37 :  5  must 
be  just  as  true  now  as  it  ever  was;  may  your 
faith  in  it  be  as  strong/' 
WATERTOWN,  MASS. 

"Grandpa  is  a  dear  old  saint  and  he  says  that 
after  a  fire  there's  always  sure  to  be  something 
better  to  replace  it.  I  hope  and  pray  there  may 
be,  and  that  somehow  comfort  and  encourage- 
ment may  come  to  your  hearts. 

"We  were  at  the  Center  that  evening  at  a 
Grange  meeting  and  when  the  message  came  and 
we  looked  out  and  saw  the  sky  lighted  by  the  fire, 
it  went  like  a  shock  over  us  all.  One  thought  of 
one  thing  burned  which  would  be  such  a  loss  and 
someone  else  would  think  of  another.  One 
woman  came  to  me  with  tears  running  down  her 
cheeks  and  said  that  she  thought  of  the  museum, 
and  how,  one  day,  she  saw  one  of  the  boys  trying 
so  hard  to  put  a  hen's  skeleton  together,  and 
then  added,  she  didn't  think  the  hen  was  the  most 
valuable  thing  lost  in  the  fire  but  in  her  mind  it 
stood  as  a  representative  of  their  efforts  for  a 
museum. 

160 


"I  am  not  a  very  good  hand  at  being  hopeful 
myself,  and  yet  I  feel  that  the  friends  of   Good 
Will  Farm  will  see  to  it  that  something  is  done 
to  replace  the  loss." 
FAIRFIELD. 

"It  makes  me  feel  as  though  I  had  lost  a  dear 
friend,  the  going  of  the  school  building  at  Good 
Will.  I  cannot  realize  it.  I  seemed  to  see  gen- 
erations of  boys  moving  through  its  halls  when- 
ever I  looked  in  vision  to  the  Kennebec." 
WINSTED,  CONN. 

"No  one  can  ever  know  the  feeling  that  comes 
over  me  when  I  think  of  days  gone  by,  incidents 
that  are  as  plain  as  if  they  had  happened  yester- 
day— those  rooms,  all  wiped  out  by  fire — it  is  too 
bad.  Thank  God  fire  cannot  burn  out  the  mem- 
ory of  those  days." 
SALEM,  MASS. 

"I  saw  for  the  first  time  today,  in  the  Boston 
Herald,  an  account  of  the  serious  loss  sustained 
by  my  friends  at  Good  Will — and  humanity  in 
general.  My  heart  was  truly  saddened  because 
that  dear  building  holds  memories  for  us  all,  and 

161 


there  is  not  a  boy  who  has  ever  come  under  the 
influence  of  Good  Will  Farm  but  will  feel  a  keen 
sense  of  personal  loss." 
NEW  HAVEN,  CONN. 

"I  have  just  seen  the  account  of  the  burning  of 
the  school  building.  I  just  can't  say  how  sorry 
I  am.  The  dear  building  that  we  all  loved  so 
much !  Somehow  it  means  so  much  more  to  me 
than  any  other  place  except  home." 
BUCKFIELD. 

"I  have  just  learned  of  the  sad  ending,  for 
you,  of  the  old  year.  How  little  I  thought  as  I 
was  admiring  the  fine  building  a  week  ago  of 
such  a  thing  being  possible.  It  conies  as  a  great 
shock  to  us  all,  but  to  you  it  means  so  much  more 
than  to  most  others.  You  have  my  deepest 
sympathy  in  what  means  so  great  a  loss  to  you. 
All  things  that  have  come  to  Good  Will  from  the 
start  have  seemed  to  work  for  its  best  interest 
and  we  should  have  faith  to  believe  this  may  be 
the  same  in  the  end,  but  it  is  hard  to  see  how  this 
can  be  now  in  this  case." 
PROVIDENCE,  R.  I. 

162 


"I  was  shocked  and  saddened  to  read  in  Mon- 
day's paper  of  the  disaster  at  Good  Will.  The 
immediate  loss  to  the  children  will  be  most  no- 
ticeable, but  I  believe  that  out  of  this  great  loss 
will  come  blessing  in  some  way — God's  own  way, 
which  it  is  sometimes  so  hard  for  us  to  see.  1 
think  of  the  extra  care  and  anxiety  thrown  upon 
you  by  this  new  problem.  No  doubt  the  friends 
will  rally  and  means  will  come  from  some  source 
for  rebuilding." 
PORTLAND. 

"We  are  profoundly  sorry,  that  so  magnificent 
a  building  as  the  Moody  School  Building  has 
been  destroyed  by  fire.  At  the  same  time  we  ad- 
mire the  faith  and  the  courage  of  him  whose  life 
purpose  has  unfolded  to  imperilled  boyhood,  not 
an  asylum,  but  a  real  home. 

"It  is  our  prayer  that  you  may  be  personally 
strengthened  and  helped  to  bear  the  present 
financial  and  educational  loss ;  and  that  the  work 
for  the  interest  of  the  Good  Will  Homes  may 
continue  to  grow  under  His  blessing." 
OXFORD,  ME. 


"I  have  no  words  with  which  to  express  my 
sorrow  over  the  catastrophe.  I  cannot  but  think 
that  it  is  a  case  where  good  must  come  out  of 
seeming  ill.  And  in  this  belief  I  wish  for  you  all 
a  happy  new  year." 
AUGUSTA. 

"Have  just  received  this  word  in  a  letter  from 
Maine — 'Suppose  you  know  that  the  Moody 
School  Building  at  Good  Will  Farm  was  burned 
a  few  nights  ago.  Everything  went/  What  a 
terrible  calamity!  And  how  my  sympathy  goes 
out  to  you  all  in  this  great  trial.  Indeed,  it 
comes  to  me  almost  with  a  sense  of  personal 
loss.  It  is  a  part  of  Good  Will  that  grew  up  un- 
der my  own  eyes,  and  in  which  I  put  much  of  in- 
terest and  love.  And  that  beautiful  museum  and 
library  and  art  collection — was  nothing  saved,  I 
wonder?  O,  it  seems  such  a  great  loss !  Surely 
someone  who  has  the  money  is  going  to  give  to 
build  again.  But  even  then  it  will  take  long  to 
replace  what  is  gone,  and  of  course  much  must 
always  be  a  loss — cannot  be  replaced.  It  must 
be  one  of  the  'all  things'  and  will  then  'work  for 
good/  somehow." 
SYRACUSE,  N.  Y. 

164 


"We  were  sorry  to  learn  of  the  burning  of  the 
Moody  Building,  but  as  'all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  those  that  love  God,'  we  must  believe 
that  the  results  to  you,  even  in  this  disaster,  must 
be  for  blessing." 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y. 

"I  was  shocked  beyond  measure  on  getting  my 
Good  Will  Record  on  Friday  night  last — on  my 
return  from  office — to  learn  of  the  great  loss  to 
you  all  in  the  burning  of  the  Moody  Building 
and  its  valuable  contents.  To  say  I  am  sorry 
would  hardly  express  my  regret.  I  rejoice  that 
I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  inside  of  it  on 
my  visit  last  fall,  even  though  it  gives  me  the 
grievous  knowledge  of  the  extent  of  the  loss  to 
Good  Will." 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

"I  have  just  learned  of  your  severe  loss 
through  the  Record  just  received  and  hasten  to 
express  to  you  my  sincere  sympathy  for  the 
school  in  the  loss  of  such  a  fine  building  by  fire. 
I  have  a  great  admiration  for  the  school  and  for 
the  good  work  that  is  being  done  there  for  'our 
boys  and  girls/  I  am  a  constant  witness  of  the 

165 


life  and  good  work  that  is  being  done    by   two 
graduates  of  your  school." 
BOSTON,  MASS. 

"I  have  prayed  much  for  you  as  I  have  seen  a 
big  charred  gap  in  place  of  that  noble  school. 
May  God  give  you  a  better  one." 
LOWELL,  MASS. 

I  had  believed  that  the  Divine  hand  was  in  the 
work  at  Good  Will ;  I  had  not  only  believed,  but 
I  had  often  given  expression  to  the  faith  that 
was  in  me.  If  I  were  ever  going  to  doubt,  it 
seemed  to  be  an  appropriate  time  just  when  one 
disaster  was  following  another  and  a  debt  was 
growing  rapidly.  It  was  my  privilege,  how- 
ever, to  say  editorially  in  the  February  number 
of  the  Good  Will  Record  in  that  year  of  '05 : 

"This  is  number  one,  volume  eighteen  of  the 
Good  Will  Record.  When  the  paper  began  in 
1888  it  announced  beginnings.  It  appears  that 
some  things  are  to  be  done  over  again.  There  is 
much  work  in  store  for  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association  and  its  friends  everywhere.  There 
is  a  silver  lining  to  every  cloud  and  in  all  proba- 
bility there  is  a  specially  bright  lining  to  the 

166 


clouds  which  just  now  hang  over  Good  Will. 
We  cannot  see  yet ;  but  we  will  see.  We  are  on 
the  watch.  We  cannot  do  without  the  Charles 
E.  Moody  building;  it  must  be  rebuilt.  We  can 
not  do  without  a  library ;  a  new  one  is  already 
founded.  We  cannot  get  along  without  in- 
creased funds;  a  special  agent  has  begun  work. 
We  need  the  hearty  cooperation  of  every  friend 
of  humanity.  Some  how,  we  cannot  persuade 
ourselves  that  we  will  not  have  it." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

With  a  growing  debt  hanging  over  us,  an  un- 
sightly pile  of  ruins  where  the  Charles  E.  Moody 
building  had  stood  for  so  many  years,  and  only 
a  handful  of  ashes  in  place  of  the  cherished  li- 
brary, there  was  ample  opportunity  for  the  study 
of  gloomy  features  in  the  work.  But  there  were 
other  experiences  to  follow,  and  it  was  just  as 
well  that  we  could  not  see  them  till  they  arrived. 

The  Moody  Building  was  burned  on  the  last 
night  of  the  year  1904,  on  the  eve  of  the  anni- 
versary of  its  dedication.  Two  weeks  later  at 
half-past  one  Friday  afternoon,  January  13,  just 
as  school  was  being  called  to  order  in  the  manual 
training  building  at  Good  Will  Farm,  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  cooking  house  and  wood  shed 
near  the  barns  was  in  flames.  One  of  the  "barn 
boys"  had  left  the  building  about  half  an  hour 
before  and  everything  was  supposed  to  be  as 
usual. 

The  building  was  quite  a  long  distance  from 
the  school  building,  and  as  the  snow  was  deep,  it 

168 


111        _ 

Jill  •illlllll 
in  vn n 


WHITNEY    HOME 


ELIZABETH    WILCOX  SMITH   COTTAGE 


was  some  time  before  any  one  could  get  to  it. 
The  structure  it^ch  was  a  complete  loss,  together 
with  the  contents.  It  was  a  wooden  building 
>  feet.  It  was  used  as  a  woodshed,  granary, 
storehouse  for  fanning  utensils,  and  as  a  cook- 
house where  food  was  prepared  for  swine  and 
poultry.  It  was  in  the  cook-room  that  the  fire 
started.  Tin-  building  contained  in  addition  to 
the  cooking  outfit  all  the  farming  utensils  used 
in  raising  the  crops,  forty  cords  of  wood  fitted 
for  the  stove  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  -bushels 
of  oats.  One  hundred  and  fifty  cords  of  wood 
for  the  next  summer  were  piled  near  the  build- 
ing, and  both  of  the  Good  Will  teams  were  on 
their  way  for  loads  to  add  to  the  supply  when 
the  fire  was  discovered.  A  hard  fight  was  put 
up  by  the  workers  at  the  Farm,  the  neighbors 
who  responded  speedily  to  the  alarm,  and  by  the 
older  Good  Will  boys.  It  was  feared  at  one 
time  that  at  least  one  of  the  barns  would  have  to 
go.  An  effort  was  made  to  get  help  from 
Waterville,  but  while  these  negotiations  were 
under  way  the  fire  fighters  became  satisfied  that 
the  great  danger  was  passed.  About  one  hun- 
dred cords  of  wood  were  destroyed.  It  is  the 
policy  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  to 

169 


keep  its  property  well  insured,  but  this  was  the 
only  building  in  its  possession  without  some  in- 
surance on  structure  and  contents. 

The  building  itself  was  of  little  value,  although 
it  would  take  a  thousand  dollars  to  replace  it. 
There  were  seasons  when  the  contents  would 
have  been  of  little  account;  but  when  the  fire 
came  it  was  filled  to  overflowing  with  wood, 
grain,  farming  implements,  feed,  etc.  Had  the 
fire  occurred  at  any  other  time  it  would  have 
been  regarded  a  heavy  disaster;  it  seemed  light 
only  when  compared  with  the  greater  loss  which 
preceded  it. 

The  following  month,  March,  '05,  the  Good 
Will  Record  had  on  its  cover  a  picture  of  the 
ruins  of  the  Charles  E.  Moody  building,  but 
editorially  I  was  happy  to  say: 

"I  have  an  announcement  which  I  think  will 
quicken  the  blood  and  increase  the  courage  of 
every  friend  of  Good  Will.  Many  have  mourned 
with  the  Good  Will  community  over  the  loss  of 
the  Moody  school  building,  the  museum,  the  por- 
traits— and  the  library.  But  it  has  been  predicted 
again  and  again  that  since  such  a  disaster  was 
allowed,  good  would  come  out  of  it.  A  generous 
hearted  friend  of  the  institution  who  wishes  to 

170 


provide  for  the  library  but  not  for  a  library  build- 
ing will  pay  to  the  Good  Will  Home  Association 
ten  thousand  dollars,  the  interest  to  be  used 
annually  for  the  purchase  of  books,  whenever  a 
suitable  building  for  such  a  growing  collection  of 
books  shall  be  assured.  The  condition  is  certainly 
a  reasonable  one.  The  association  cannot  meet 
it  but  among  its  friends  there  must  be  someone, 
somewhere,  who  will  count  it  a  privilege  to  do  it. 
A  few  years  ago  someone  offered  ten  thousand 
dollars  toward  the  endowment  of  a  manual  train- 
ing school  at  Good  Will  whenever  anyone  would 
provide  the  building.  The  building  thus  sug- 
gested was  dedicated  July  27,  '03  and  has  become 
indispensable  in  the  life  at  Good  Will.  A  library 
without  a  building  would  be  an  unfortunate 
thing ;  a  library  building  without  books  would  be 
worse.  Here  is  a  provision  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year  perpetually  for  new  books;  where 
shall  we  put  them?  One  gift  calls  for  another ;  the 
two  will  make  a  magnificent  provision  for  the 
Good  Will  community.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  make 
this  announcement:  it  will  be  a  still  greater 
pleasure  to  announce  that  the  condition  is  met 
and  that  the  building  and  book  fund  are  both  se- 
cure. Surely  such  an  issue  is  good  out  of  seem- 

171 


ing  disaster;  it  would  mean  great  things  out  of 
the  ashes  of  our  former  building." 

In  the  same  month  a  meeting  of  the  Directors 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  was  held  at 
which  plans  for  rebuilding  the  Moody  building 
were  considered  and  it  was  decided  to  begin 
work  as  soon  as  weather  conditions  in  the  spring 
would  admit. 

In  the  meantime  there  had  been  some  cor- 
respondence relative  to  a  library  building.  I  do 
not  know  the  nature  of  the  correspondence,  but 
early  in  May  I  was  able  to  say  to  the  friends. of 
Good  Will  that  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  had  of- 
fered to  give  $15,000,  on  condition  that  an  ad- 
ditional $15,003  be  raised.  In  doing  this,  that 
is,  in  making  the  gift  or  the  offer  to  an  institu- 
tion of  this  character,  Mr.  Carnegie  departed 
from  his  custom  and  his  plans.  Many  thought 
that,  if  the  great  philanthropist  fully  understood 
the  situation  at  Good  Will,  he  would  have  been 
willing  to  depart  still  further  from  his  custom 
and  to  make  the  gift  unconditional,  but  so  far  as 
I  know  he  was  not  asked  to  do  it.  He  was  con- 
sulted at  once  regarding  the  proffered  $10,000 
for  a  book  fund,  and  it  was  learned  that  he  was 


172 


willing  that  this  fund  should  be  a  part  of  the  ad- 
ditional $15,000  to  be  raised. 

This  was  interesting.  Here  was  a  building 
fund  offered  on  condition  that  another  fund  be 
secured ;  here  was  an  endowment  or  book  fund 
offered  on  condition  that  another  fund  be  raised 
and  converted  into  a  building.  It  was  necessary 
to  secure  $5,000,  therefore,  in  order  to  save  an 
offered  $25,000. 

There  were  weeks  of  suspense  but  all  of  the 
conditions  were  finally  met. 

The  contract  for  the  Charles  E.  Moody  build- 
ing was  signed  July  ist,  at  a  later  date  than  we 
had  planned  or  hoped,  and  work  began  July  n. 

Saturday  afternoon,  August  5,  a  large  com- 
pany of  friends  of  Good  Will  gathered  at  the 
chosen  site  of  the  proposed  library  building  to 
be  present  at  the  formal  breaking  of  ground. 
"My  faith  looks  up  to  Thee,"  was  sung;  the 
people  repeated  the  twenty-third  Psalm ;  the 
thirty-seventh  Psalm,  or  the  first  part  of  it,  was 
reading  according  to  custom  on  such  occasions  at 
Good  Will,  and  this  time  by  Rev.  C.  P.  Cleaves 
of  Bowdoin  College ;  and  it  was  my  privilege  to 
explain  the  gift  of  Mr.  Carnegie,  and  also  to  an- 
nounce that  the  donor  of  the  $10,000  as  a  book 

173 


fund,  was  Miss  C.  I.  Sage  of  Guilford,  Conn., 
in  memory  of  Willie  Sage  Tuttle.  It  was  un- 
derstood that,  although  the  ground  was  being 
broken,  the  building  was  not  to  be  commenced 
for  several  weeks,  and  that  the  dedication  would 
be  a  full  year  later. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  new  Charles  E. 
Moody  Building  was  laid  without  public  exer- 
cises, September  25,  '05. 

In  March,  '06,  I  was  able  to  announce  another 
generous  gift,  and  one  which  I  was  pleased  to 
call  "significant." 

In  January,  1904,  Mr.  Edwin  Bancroft  Foote 
had  given  $50,000  to  Good  Will.  Of  this 
amount  $10,000,  or  as  much  of  it  as  was  neces- 
sary, was  to  be  used  in  building  a  home  for 
boys;  the  remainder  was  to  become  a  fund,  the 
interest  of  which  was  to  be  used  annually  in 
providing  a  home  and  education  for  ten  boys,  in 
the  Bancroft-Foote  House.  The  house  which 
Mr.  Foote  built  was  not  too  large  for  a  suitable 
memorial  to  his  parents,  but  it  was  large  enough 
for  more  than  a  family  of  ten  boys.  Mr.  Foote 
had  visited  the  home,  and  had  been  greatly 
pleased  with  all  that  he  saw  and  heard,  and  had 
decided  to  add  $24,000  to  his  gift,  thus  provid- 

174 


ing  for  an  income  that  would  make  it  possible 
to  have  a  family  of  seventeen  boys  in  the  home 
instead  of  only  ten. 

The  significance  of  Mr.  Foote's  gift  lies,  first, 
in  the  fact  that  his  earlier  investment — the  larg- 
est single  investment  that  had  been  made  at 
Good  Will — was  so  satisfactory  that  he  wanted 
to  increase  it,  and,  second,  in  the  fact  that  he  was 
able  to  add  to  the  endowment  of  a  home  which 
he  had  founded  for  boys,  and  increase  its  use- 
fulness without  adding  to  his  cares  or  responsi- 
bilities. Thus  it  was  demonstrated  again  that 
better  than  founding  a  new  institution  at  almost 
unlimited  expense  of  time  and  money  and 
anxiety  in  choosing  a  new  location  and  effecting 
a  new  organization,  the  work,  the  organizing 
and  the  conduct  of  affairs  was  all  attended  to  for 
him. 

It  may  be  worth  while  to  state  here  that  the 
same  thing  can  be  done  at  Good  Will  an  in- 
definite number  of  times;  that  is,  the  Good  Will 
Home  Association  will  accept  such  funds,  build 
the  home,  name  it  as  the  donor  shall  desire,  and 
thus  establish  a  new  home  as  surely  as  though 
a  new  location  were  selected,  only  at  Good  Will 
the  spirit  of  such  a  home  is  happily  determined 

175 


beforehand,  and  many  of  the  problems  which 
would  have  to  be  worked  out  again  in  a  new  lo- 
cation have  already  been  solved. 

In  April  following,  I  was  able  to  announce 
the  receipt  of  Miss  C.  I.  Sage's  gift  of  $10,000, 
which  had  been  offered  on  condition  that  a  suit- 
able place  be  provided  for  the  books  which  would 
be  purchased  with  the  income  from  it.  The 
place  was  not  ready  but  the  noble  donor  of  the 
fund  was  satisfied  that  it  would  be  in  course  of 
time,  and  did  not  care  to  postpone  the  transfer. 
This  will  always  be  known  as  the  Willie  Sage 
Tuttle  Fund. 

Willie  Sage  Tuttle  was  born  in  Guilford, 
Connecticut,  December  28th,  1853,  and  died 
July  27th,  1867.  He  was  my  classmate  in  Sun- 
day School.  We  were  born  in  the  same  year; 
he  died  on  the  thirteenth  anniversary  of  my 
birth.  My  recollections  of  him  are  slight,  ex- 
cepting that  each  boy  in  the  class  seemed  to 
recognize  in  him  a  superior,  both  morally  and 
intellectually.  I  remember  that  he  used  to  ask 
questions  of  the  teacher  that  were  so  far  beyond 
my  grasp,  or  even  my  interest,  that  I  sat  in 
wonder.  He  was  not  an  ordinary  boy  at  all, 
but  rather  the  embodiment  of  purity,  intellect 

176 


and  the  Christian  spirit.  What  he  might  have 
accomplished  in  the  world  had  he  lived,  we 
cannot  tell ;  but  it  pleased  his  mother  to  per- 
petuate his  memory  and  his  influence  at  Olivet 
College,  Michigan,  and  now  it  has  pleased  Miss 
Sage,  his  aunt  and  tm  her,  to  perpetuate  the 
same  memory  and  influence  at  Good  Will  in 
Maine.  It  is  not  in  my  power  or  province  to 
pay  tribute  to  the  memory  of  one  of  my  own 
age,  who  died  when  I  was  but  thirteen.  I  can 
only  speak  of  him  as  I  have ;  but  Rev.  Joseph 
L.  Daniels,  now  of  Olivet  College,  Michigan, 
but  at  one  time  principal  of  Guilford  Institute, 
and  the  boy's  teacher  writes  of  him: 

"Willie  Sage  Tuttle  was  a  most  remarkable 
boy.  His  early  training  had  been  in  a  Christian 
home  under  the  careful  supervision  of  his  mother 
and  aunt.  Miss  Clara  I.  Sage.  No  pains  had 
been  spared  to  give  him  the  right  trend  in  pur- 
pose and  character.  His  principles  were  fixed, 
his  ideal  high,  his  soul  pure  and  white. 

"At  the  age  of  ten  he  entered  Guilford  Insti- 
tute and  at  once  made  his  mark  as  a  scholar.  He 
had  all  the  simplicity  of  childhood  with  the 
strong  and  noble  elements  of  manhood.  He  had 
yet  to  learn  the  ways  of  the  world,  and  at  times 

177 


trusted  too  much  to  the  honor  and  goodness  of 
his  wary  associates. 

"He  loved  his  books,  he  loved  his  teacher,  and 
school  life  was  to  him  a  delight  and  a  joy.  On 
the  other  hand  his  teachers  found  it  a  privilege 
to  lead  his  trusting  soul  into  new  fields  of  knowl- 
edge and  experience.  With  such  scholars  teach- 
ing is  simply  a  recreation  and  a  joy. 

"Willie  had  a  rare  natural  endowment,  both 
intellectual  and  moral.  The  two  were  most  hap- 
pily blended.  He  was  quick  to  see  the  truth  and 
the  right  and  to  love  it  too.  He  grasped  great 
truths,  mastered  them  and  loved  them.  The 
maturity  of  his  mind  was  amazing.  He  would 
listen  to  a  teacher  or  preacher  with  the  closest 
attention  and  repeat  their  thoughts  with  won- 
drous accuracy  and  facility. 

"Yet  with  him  lessons  were  not  learned  simply 
to  be  repeated  to  others  but  the  rather  to  be 
incorporated  into  life.  And  so  he  surprised  us 
with  his  thoughtfulness  for  the  future  and  his 
plans  for  later  years.  Young  as  he  was  his  pur- 
pose was  fixed  and  he  was  daily  making  prepara- 
tion for  it.  His  short  and  incomplete  career  is 
one  of  the  mysteries  we  cannot  solve.  It  is  easy 
to  imagine  the  great  and  good  work  he  might 


have  accomplished  had  his  life  been  prolonged. 
But  God  had  some  better  thing  for  him,  and 
through  him  has  been  teaching  us  the  sorrowful 
yet  the  deepest  and  truest  lessons  of  life.  His 
bright  example,  sweet  spirit  and  lofty  purpose 
are  today  a  precious  memory  and  a  perpetual 
inspiration.  'He  being  dead  yet  speaketh.' ' 

On  Thursday  afternoon  of  Commencement 
week  at  Good  Will,  '06,  the  corner  stone  of  the 
Carnegie  Library  building  was  laid.  A  chorus 
of  girls  and  boys,  under  the  direction  of  Chas. 
F.  Nutter,  led  in  singing.  The  hymns  sung 
were  "America,"  "How  Firm  a  Foundation," 
and  "My  Faith  Looks  Up  to  Thee."  Prayer 
was  offered  by  Prof.  A.  L.  Lane.  The  audience 
joined  in  repeating  the  first  psalm. 

After  I  had  related,  in  a  brief  address,  the 
events  which  had  led  up  to  the  occasion,  a  copper 
box  was  produced  in  which  we  placed  a  copy  of 
the  architect's  specifications  for  the  building, 
Contractor  Wilbur's  card,  a  Good  Will  Record, 
the  story  of  Good  Will  Farm,  the  story  of  Dan 
McDonald — one  of  Good  Will's  best-known  boys 
— a  copy  of  the  Waterville  Evening  Mail  con- 
taining an  account  of  the  previous  day's  pro- 
ceedings at  Good  Will,  a  full  set  of  the  pro- 

179 


grammes  of  Commencement  Week  at  Good  Will, 
the  signatures  of  all  the  Good  Will  boys  and 
girls  then  at  the  Farm  and  their  teachers,  and  a 
few  other  articles.  The  box  was  sealed,  placed 
in  the  corner  stone  by  Judge  Hobbs,  President 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association,  and  the 
corner  stone  was  then  laid,  President  Hobbs 
pronouncing  it  "plumb,  square  and  true."  The 
Doxology  was  sung  and  then  the  audience  broke 
into  cheers,  cheering  lustily  for  the  donor  of  the 
Willie  Sage  Tuttle  Fund,  which  is  to  play  a 
large  part  in  the  growth  of  the  library,  and  then, 
as  a  last  thing  done  or  said  at  the  service,  three 
rousing  cheers  for  the  donor  of  the  library,  Mr. 
Andrew  Carnegie. 

The  Charles  E.  Moody  building  to  take  the 
place  of  the  one  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  last 
night  of  '04,  was  dedicated  Thursday  of  As- 
sembly week,  in  that  year,  at  10.30  A.  M. 

The  program  was  in  some  particulars  like  all 
that  had  preceded  it  on  similar  occasions.  It 
consisted  of:  Singing,  "America";  Scripture, 
thirty-seventh  Psalm,  read  by  G.  W.  Hinckley; 
singing,  "How  Firm  a  Foundation";  report  of 
the  building  committee  and  presentation  of  keys, 
Hon.  Nath'l  Hobbs,  North  Berwick;  acceptance 

180 


of  keys,  Hon.  L.  L.  Walton,  Skowhegan ;  sing- 
ing, "Am  I  a  Soldier  of  the  Cross,"  Good  Will 
choir ;  dedicatory  prayer,  Mr.  R.  A.  Jordan, 
Bangor;  singing,  "Stand  Up  for  Jesus,"  Good 
Will  choir;  dedicatory  address  by  Pres.  George 
Emory  Fellows  of  the  University  of  Maine. 

In  his  report  for  the  Building  Committee, 
Judge  Nath'l  Hobbs  said:  "Acting  in  behalf  of 
the  Building  Committe,  to  whom  were  dele- 
gated the  supervision  and  direction  of  building  a 
new  school  building  to  take  the  place  of  the  one 
destroyed  a  year  ago  last  December,  I  would  say 
that  the  committee  had  attended  to  the  duty 
assigned  them  and  what  you  have  seen  in  the 
interior  and  on  the  outside  of  the  building  is  the 
result  of  their  directions.  The  building  has  been 
accepted  by  the  committee.  Mr.  Chairman,  it  is 
not  for  the  committee  to  praise  its  own  work,  but 
I  have  been  told  by  competent  judges  that  the 
architecture  of  the  building  is  superior  to  that 
of  the  one  destroyed  and  that  the  interior  ar- 
rangement is  also  better. 

The  contract  provided  that  as  much  of  the 
material  on  the  ground  might  be  used  as  prac- 
ticable in  the  construction  of  the  building,  so  that 
what  was  used  was  a  sort  of  leaven  to  leaven  the 

181 


whole  structure  so  that  this  building  may  be  well 
considered  the  Charles  E.  Moody  School  Build- 
ing. It  may  not  be  know  to  some  present  that 
the  original  was  built  by  his  two  sisters  as  a 
memorial  to  Chas.  E.  Moody.  Neither  of  the 
sisters  is  now  living.  Now  as  we  contemplate 
this  building  in  surroundings  and  in  its  interior 
we,  I  think,  may  be  conscious  of  the  sweet  fra- 
grace  of  the  life  of  Chas.  E.  Moody  and  his  two 
sisters.  So  I  think  it  very  appropriate  that  the 
association  may  christen  and  re-dedicate  the 
Charles  E.  Moody  School  Building.  And  now, 
Mr.  Chairman,  the  last  act  on  the  part  of  the 
committee  is  to  present  the  keys  of  the  building, 
which  I  do." 

Hon.  L.  L.  Walton  of  Skowhegan  in  accept- 
ing the  keys  said:  "I  accept  these  keys  and  this 
building  not  only  for  the  officers  and  members 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  and  its  many 
loyal  supporters  but  for  the  efficient  teachers  of 
the  school  and  scholars,  boys  and  girls,  who  have 
waited  so  long  and  patiently  for  the  building  to 
be  completed.  I  accept  it  also  for  the  vast 
throng,  we  trust,  of  future  boys  who  will  occupy 
these  rooms  as  successors  of  those  now  here. 

"The  building  speaks  for  itself.     All  can  see 

182 


what  it  is.  We  thank  the  building  committee 
for  their  faithful  services  and  we  accept  it  from 
their  hands  with  assurance  that  every  scholar  will 
be  here  trained  into  a  noble  young  man  or  wo- 
man, letting  them  out  into  the  large  land  of 
opportunity  beyond.  God  bless  them,  every 
one." 

President  Fellows  took  for  his  theme,  "The 
Responsibility  of  Education." 

The  congregation  sang  the  Doxology  in  clos- 
ing. 


183 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Things  were  coming  "to  pass" ;  but  there  was 
a  cloud,  and  a  dark  one.  In  the  October  Good 
Will  Record,  1906,  I  referred  to  it,  editorially, 
thus: 

"Readers  of  the  Good  Will  record  and  others 
who  are  familiar  with  the  work  of  the  Good  Will 
Home  Association  know  that  in  the  past  few 
years  a  debt  has  been  incurred.  It  has  hardly 
been  referred  to  for  several  months,  but  it  still 
exists.  Three  suggestions  relative  to  it  have 
been  made,  (i)  That  it  be  bonded.  I  object. 
(2)  That  a  mortgage  be  placed  on  Good  Will 
Farm.  I  protest.  (3)  That  the  debt  be  raised. 
In  my  judgment  the  last  named  course  is  the 
only  one  to  take. 

There  are  three  things  to  be  said  about  the 
debt,  (a)  It  was  incurred  under  unusual  cir- 
cumstances, such  as  will  not  exist  again,  (b) 
The  last  quarter  of  the  year  1906  seems  to  be 
the  time  to  cancel  it.  (c)  If  the  debt  is  once 
paid,  it  need  not,  and  so  far  as  I  can  say,  will 
not,  be  incurred  again. 

1*4 


There  arc  three  things  to  consider,  (i)  The 
raising  of  the  money  to  pay  the  debt  ought  not 
to  conflict  with  the  usual  contributions  to  the 
current  expenses  of  the  work.  (2)  The  debt 
should  be  paid  by  a  few  large  contributions, 
rather  than  by  a  multitude  of  small  ones.  (3)  I 
know  of  no  one  who  contemplates  contributing 
a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  the  whole  debt;  but  I 
believe  that  there  are  people  who  will  be  glad  to 
give  from  $1000  to  $5000  each,  to  help  the  insti- 
tution which  has  done  so  much  for  humanity 
and  which  promises  so  much  to  the  world  in  the 
future. 

If  the  debt  had  been  incurred  through  dis- 
honesty, extravagance,  or  the  payment  of  too 
large  salaries,  the  case  would  take  on  a  different 
aspect ;  but  as  I  have  already  stated,  it  is  the 
result  of  unique  circumstances,  such  as  will  not 
exist  again.  We  can  point  to  equipment  in 
buildings  and  permanent  improvements  which 
explain  the  existence  of  much  of  the  debt,  and 
the  rest  is  the  shortage  on  current  expense  ac- 
count— the  accumulation  of  several  years  when 
a  change  of  methods  in  raising  money  was  in 
progress.  Good  Will  has  a  larger  number  of 
boys  and  girls  this  year  than  ever  before.  Defi- 


nite  improvements  and  developments  are  in  sight 
which  will  greatly  increase  Good  Will's  useful- 
ness and  its  capacity  for  helping  those  who  need 
the  assistance  which  Good  Will  gives.  The 
greatest  hindrance  to  its  development,  the  one 
serious  obstacle  to  its  progress,  is  the  debt  now 
under  consideration.  I  would  be  glad  to  cor- 
respond with  any  who  may  wish  information 
about  the  matter;  I  wish  I  might  hear  from  the 
friends  of  Good  Will  just  how  they  feel  about 
it.  Shall  the  debt  be  wiped  out  by  December 
31,  1906? 

Commencement  week  of  1908  had  a  feature  of 
special  interest.  Something  had  been  brought 
"to  pass" ;  there  was  occasion  for  the  reading  of 
the  thirty-seventh  Psalm,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it, 
and  the  singing  of  hymns  of  faith.  In  the  pre- 
ceding February  I  had  received  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Tracy  W.  McGregor,  of  Detroit,  Michigan, 
whom  I  had  met  at  a  convention  several  years 
before,  telling  me  of  a  plan  for  the  erection  and 
endowment  of  a  home  for  fifteen  boys  at  Good 
Will.  The  letter  said:  "Will  you  kindly  write 
and  tell  me  what  steps  it  would  be  necessary  to 
take  in  order  to  carry  out  the  suggestion." 

Correspondence     followed    in    which    I    en- 

186 


deavored  to  explain  that  a  sum  of  money  might 
be  turned  over  to  the  Good  Will  Home  Associa- 
tion sufficient  to  build  the  proposed  home ;  that 
to  such  a  home  might  be  added  a  fund  large 
enough  to  provide  annually  for  repairs  and  in- 
surance, and  fifteen  scholarships  of  three  thou- 
sand dollars  each,  as  these  would  yield  an  in- 
come sufficient  to  make  a  family  of  fifteen  possi- 
ble, practically  providing  for  its  support. 

So  it  came  "to  pass"  that  on  Thursday  of 
Commencement  week  at  Good  Will,  in  1908 — the 
first  week  in  June — the  formal  exercises  of 
breaking  ground  took  place.  The  following  pro- 
gram was  observed : 

Singing,  "America,"  Congregation 

Reading  of  37th  Psalm, 

Gilbert  Arey,  a  Good  Will  Senior 
Singing,  "How  Firm  a  Foundation," 

Congregation 

Prayer,  G.  F.  Barnard 

Address,  G.  W.  Hinckley 

In  the  course  of  brief  remarks  I  said : 
"When  the  house  is  built  on  the  spot  where 
we  are  now  assembled  it  will  complete  this  par- 
ticular group  of  homes.     Architects    are    now 


busy  with  the  plans  and  specifications.  About 
the  first  of  July  funds  will  be  turned  over  to  the 
Good  Will  Home  Association,  sufficient  to  build 
and  equip  the  home  and  also  to  provide  an  in- 
come for  the  support  of  a  family  of  fifteen  boys. 
It  is  to  be  known  as  the  'Whitney  Home.'  I 
hope  that  we  will  be  able  to  begin  work  about 
the  first  of  July,  but  in  the  meantime,  assured 
of  the  gift,  we  are  gathered  here  in  this  Com- 
mencement Week  to  break  ground;  to  turn  the 
first  turf. 

"It  has  been  our  custom  upon  similar  occasions 
to  select  some  individual  to  turn  the  first  turf, 
regarding  the  privilege  as  something  of  an  honor. 
This  gift  comes  to  us  from  Michigan.  So  far 
as  we  know  there  is  but  one  person  in  our  com- 
munity at  the  present  time  who  came  from  that 
state — John  Hall,  a  Good  Will  Cottage  boy,  is 
with  us.  He  came  to  us  from  Michigan  upon 
the  application  and  through  the  request  of  Mrs. 
McGregor.  I  have,  therefore,  asked  him  as  the 
representative  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGregor  to 
turn  the  first  turf  this  afternoon,  but  before  this 
is  done  you  will  please  give  three  rousing  cheers 
for  the  donor  of  the  building." 

Amid  the  cheers  of  the  assembly  John  Hall, 


9*.  , 


JOHN    HALL 
Ready  to  break  ground  for  the  Whitney  Home 


a  sturdy  lad  of  about  nine  years,  stepped  forward 
and  turned  tin-  first  turf. 

Tuesday,  Feb.  23d,  '09,  was  a  rarely  beautiful 
winter's  day.  It  was  the  date  for  the  dedication 
of  the  Whitney  Home  at  Good  Will.  The 
building  was  opened  for  inspection  at  eight 
o'clock,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  opened  visitors  be- 
iran  to  enter.  In  order  that  the  place  should  not 
be  crowded  at  any  hour  it  had  been  previously 
arranged  that  the  Good  Will  boys  should  visit  it 
in  cottage  groups,  one  group  arriving  every  fif- 
teen minutes  to  be  shown  through  the  house. 
At  eleven  o'clock  an  interested  and  sympathetic 
audience  had  assembled  in  Moody  Hall  for  the 
dedicatory  services.  The  congregation  sang 
four  verses  of 

"How  firm  a  foundation,  Ye  Saints  of  the  Lord, 
Is  laid  for  your  faith  in  his  excellent  word." 

In  the  very  beginning  of  the  history  of  Good 
Will  the  hope  for  the  work  rested  in  Psalm 
37  *5 '  "Commit  thy  way  unto  the  Lord,  trust  also 
in  Him,  and  He  shall  bring  to  pass,"  and  it  had 
been  the  custom  to  read  at  least  a  part  of  that 
Psalm  at  all  dedication  services — enough  of  it  to 
include  the  fifth  verse  anyway.  It  had  been  read 
at  the  breaking  of  ground  for  fourteen  struc- 

189 


tures  at  Good  Will,  including  homes  and  educa- 
tional buildings ;  it  had  been  read  at  the  laying  of 
six  corner-stones,  and  at  nineteen  dedicatory  ser- 
vices. It  was  fitting  that  in  this  twentieth  year 
of  Good  Will's  existence  it  should  be  read  at  the 
twentieth  dedicatory  service.  No  other  passage 
could  be  so  fitting;  no  other  passage  could  take 
its  place.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  the  first  ten 
verses  of  this  Psalm  were  read  by  Mr.  C.  C. 
Robinson,  State  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secretary  of  Boys' 
Work  in  Maine.  A  chorus  of  Good  Will  boys 
and  girls  sang, 

"Consider  and  hear  me.' 

I  was  able  to  say: 

"When  Hall  Cottage  was  presented  to  the 
Good  Will  Home  Association  it  was  decided  to 
locate  it  in  a  somewhat  remote  part  of  the  Farm. 
No  doubt  the  matron  and  the  first  family  of  boys 
in  it  sometimes  felt  isolated  and  had  lonesome 
hours.  To  many  the  location  seemed  unfortu- 
nate. Questions  were  asked  and  the  uniform  re- 
ply was :  'It  is  a  part  of  a  plan ;  eventually  there 
will  be  a  group  of  three  homes  in  that  location — 
a  little  colony  of  forty-five  or  fifty  boys.' 

"When  Bancroft-Foote  House  was  presented 
it  was  promptly  decided  to  locate  it  two  hundred 

190 


Feet   to  the  north  of  Hall  Cottage,  and  it  was 

apparent  that  the  plan  was  to  be  worked  out  in 
due  time,  though  from  whence  the  third  home 
of  the  group  would  come  was  still  a  mystery. 

"One  year  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  Detroit, 
Michigan.  It  was  dated  Feb.  15,  1908,  and  it 
informed  me  that  Mrs.  Tracy  W.  McGregor 
contemplated  building  and  endowing  a  home  for 
boys  at  Good  Will  and  information  was  re- 
quested as  to  the  next  step  to  be  taken.  Cor- 
respondence followed.  Mr.  McGregor  visited 
Good  Will  and  examined  possible  locations.  It 
was  finally  decided  that  the  Whitney  Home — the 
gift  of  Mrs.  McGregor — should  be  located  so  as 
to  be  the  third  home  in  the  group.  The  group  is 
now  completed.  I  do  not  mean  that  all  plans  for 
Good  Will  are  consummated ;  but  one  little  plan 
for  that  part  of  the  Farm  is  completed ;  and  the 
eleventh  home  belonging  to  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association  is  about  to  be  dedicated.  The  con- 
tract for  the  house  was  awarded  by  the  Special 
Building  Committee  to  J.  L.  Parkin  and  Son  of 
Fairfield  for  $9,500.00:  the  contract  for  heating 
and  plumbing  was  awarded  to  George  Toppan  of 
Fairfield  for  $1,100.00.  It  was  stipulated  by  the 
donor  that  the  structure  should  be  first  class  in 

191 


every  respect.  The  Committee  believes  that  all 
requirements  have  been  met.  The  gift  of  the 
building  was  accompanied  by  a  fund  sufficient  to 
yield  the  probable  cost  of  repairs  and  insurance 
each  year  and  also  by  fifteen  scholarships  of 
three  thousand  dollars  each. 

"As  we  are  gathered  here  to  mark  the  opening 
of  the  home  by  appropriate  exercises,  gratitude 
should  be  the  prevailing  note ;  the  enlarged  use- 
fulness of  Good  Will  is  assured. 

"Mrs.  McGregor's  gift  is  a  'house  beautiful.' 
Its  architecture  is  attractive ;  it  is  built  of  the 
best  material ;  its  materials  are  joined  together  in 
a  most  workmanlike  manner.  But  we  know  that 
neither  brick  and  mortar,  nor  wood  and  iron 
make  a  home,  no  matter  how  skillfully  they  may 
be  combined. 

"Mrs.  McGregor's  gift  is  a  'home.'  The  man- 
agement has  taken  every  precaution ;  no  oldtime 
barracks  have  been  here  created ;  today  we  dedi- 
cate a  real  home — a  place  where  the  home  spirit 
will  always  be  dominant. 


192 


"Mrs.  McGregor's  gift  is  a  memorial.  You 
noticed  the  bronze  tablet  in  the  hallway : 

THIS  HOME  WAS  ERECTED 

AND  ENDOWED  IN    MEMORY  OF 

DAVID  WHITNEY 

BY  A  DAUGHTER 

1908 

"David  Whitney  was  one  of  God's  noblemen; 
no  memorial  should  be  erected  to  such  a  man 
unless  it  be  beautiful,  impressive,  useful.  No 
more  fitting  memorial  could  be  reared  than  a 
home  for  boys — a  home  for  boys  in  memory  of 
David  Whitney,  the  business  man,  the  philan- 
thropist, the  home-lover,  the  father. 

"Mr.  Whitney  was  born  at  Westford,  Mass., 
August  23,  1830.  He  sprang  from  New  Eng- 
land ancestors,  and  was  one  of  a  family  of  four 
brothers.  With  them  he  gained  a  common 
school  education,  and  was  afterward  a  student  at 
the  Westford  Academy.  During  earlier  years 
he  worked  for  his  father,  who  was  a  farmer,  but 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one  hired  as  a  clerk  with 
the  Westford  Lumber  Company. 

"Within  three  years,  he  had    so    shown    his 

193 


capacity  for  management  that  the  firm  made  him 
superintendent  of  the  business.  Not  more  than  a 
year  afterwards,  however,  he  started  to  deal  in 
lumber  on  his  own  account  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and 
his  trade  was  so  prosperous  that  it  soon  became 
wholesale  in  character  and  extended  throughout 
New  England.  The  forests  of  the  Upper  Con- 
necticut River  were  then  a  profitable  source  of 
lumber  supply.  The  business  had  not  been  long 
under  way  when  others  were  drawn  into  it,  and 
the  firm  of  Skillings,  Whitney  and  Barnes  was 
organized,  with  a  principal  office  in  Boston,  and 
distributing  yards  at  points  in  New  England  and 
New  York.  Mr.  Whitney  was  president  of  the 
company  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  in  1900, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son.  When  not 
more  than  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  he  was  at- 
tracted by  the  extensive  white  pine  resources  of 
the  State  of  Michigan  and  soon  afterwards  went 
to  that  state  to  make  his  home.  For  many  years 
he  bought  and  converted  into  lumber  the  big 
trees  of  thousands  of  acres  in  Michigan  and  Wis- 
consin, and  at  one  time  owned  the  largest  timber 
acreage  ever  possessed  by  any  individual  in  the 
State  of  Michigan. 

"For  many  years  Mr.  Whitney  was  a  resident 

194 


of  Detroit,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  ma- 
terial prosperity  of  the  city.  He  was  actively 
nii^vd  in  various  lines  of  manufacturing  and 
banking,  and  was  the  head  of  a  transportation 
company  which  owned  and  operated  vessels  on 
the  Great  Lakes.  He  became  a  large  dealer  in 
real  estate  and  erected  several  of  the  principal 
buildings  of  the  city.  Mr.  Whitney's  commer- 
cial operations  were  marked  by  extreme  care  and 
conservatism. 

"Regarding  Mr.  Whitney's  character,  some- 
thing may  be  gathered  from  the  following  quo- 
tations from  tributes  paid  to  him  at  the  time  of 
his  death: 

"General  R.  A.  Alger,  Secretary  of  War,  says : 
'He  was  a  quiet,  unostentatious  gentleman,  who 
was  very  particular  in  making  contracts,  but 
would  always  stand  to  his  bargains  whether  they 
were  hard  or  not.  He  was  strictly  honorable  in 
every  respect,  and  would  never  wrong  a  man  in 
a  shilling  to  make  a  million  for  himself.  It  is  a 
great  loss  when  such  men  pass  away.  When  I 
asked  him  about  his  assessments  on  the  last  tax 
rolls,  he  said  that  he  would  rather  pay  taxes  on 
twice  the  amount  assessed  than  shirk  a  dollar  of 
his  just  obligations/ 

195 


"Resolutions  from  the  Board  of  the  Union 
Trust  Company  read  as  follows: 

'  'We  knew  him  always  as  the  man  sagacious, 
honest,  and  honorable,  of  individual  views  but 
deferential  to  others,  of  wide  and  deep  thought, 
and  of  sound  and  seasoned  judgment/ 

"A  newspaper  editorial  speaks  as  follows: 
"  'Mr.  Whitney  was  without  social  or  political 
ambitions.  All  his  life  he  was  content  to  be  a 
simple  man  of  affairs ;  he  was  entirely  free  from 
ostentation,  and  his  bearing  towards  the  humblest 
individual  was  courteous  and  considerate.  His 
private  office  was  open  to  any  one,  and  he  al- 
ways seemed  to  have  unlimited  time.  In  his  giv- 
ing to  church  and  charity,  publicity  and  ad- 
vertisement were  avoided.  Though  Mr.  Whit- 
ney was  a  hard  worker,  and  occupied  a  large 
place  in  the  business  affairs  of  Detroit  and 
Michigan,  he  was  so  quiet  and  unassuming  that 
he  received  far  less  attention  than  others  who 
filled  much  smaller  places.  The  attractions  of 
Mr.  Whitney's  character  were  especially  mani- 
fest in  the  home.  Here  he  was  gentle  and  affec- 
tionate. No  man  was  ever  more  devoted  to  his 
family,  and  in  his  dealings  with  them  he  was  an 
ideal  of  patience/ 

196 


It  is  delightful  to  know  that  here  at  Good 
Will  the  memory  of  such  a  man  is  to  be  per- 
petuated ;  his  life  work  enlarged ;  his  influence 
ever  increased  as  the  years  come  and  go.  And 
so  in  behalf  of  the  donor  who  cannot  be  with 
us  today,  and  as  Chairman  of  the  Building 
Committee,  I  present  the  keys  of  the  Whitney 
Home  to  the  Trustees  and  Directors  of  the  Good 
Will  Home  Association." 

Mr.  R.  A.  Jordan,  a  director  of  the  Associa- 
tion, received  the  keys  and  said: 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  in  behalf  of  the  Good 
Will  Home  Association  to  accept  from  you  for 
the  generous  donor,  Mrs.  Tracy  W.  McGregor, 
the  Whitney  Home  for  boys,  and  to  assure  you  of 
our  sincere  gratitude. 

"It  means  much  that  shrewd  and  practical 
business  men  and  intelligent  and  benevolent 
women  are  giving  so  generously  of  their  means 
for  the  support  and  propagation  of  the  work  at 
Good  Will.  It  means  much  because  such  men 
and  women  are  not  moved  by  mere  sentiment,  nor 
by  the  impulses  of  the  moment. 

"It  means,  I  believe,  that  this  work,  standing, 
as  it  does,  as  a  special  help  and  safeguard  to 
needy  and  imperilled  boys,  and  reaching,  as  it 

197 


does,  with  its  hand  of  friendship  and  love,  in- 
viting them  to  enter  its  portals  and  find  refuge; 
I  say  I  can  but  believe  it  means  that  good  men 
and  women  feel  it  to  be  a  necessary  work,  and 
worthy  of  the  best  possible  support,  and  it  is 
gratifying  to  all  connected  with  it  to  have  this 
continued  and  growing  confidence  of  intelligent 
and  benevolent  people. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  also  to  accept  this  gift 
because  of  what  it  means  to  the  extension  of  the 
work.  We  must  not  think  of  this  building  and 
its  splendid  endowment  as  caring  simply  for  fif- 
teen needy  boys;  but  rather  as  a  benefit  for  the 
hundreds  of  boys,  as  the  years  come  and  go,  who 
will  find  their  way  to  its  open  door  to  be  fed, 
clothed,  and  educated,  who  otherwise  must  have 
been  uncared  for. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure,  also,  to  accept  this  gift 
because  of  the  assurance  of  permanency  which 
comes  with  it;  this  assurance  coming  to  us  be- 
cause of  the  splendid  endowment  of  the  Whitney 
Home.  The  necessity  of  having  the  Good  Will 
Home  Association  put  on  a  sound  and  perma- 
nent financial  basis  by  a  liberal  endowment,  as 
are  other  institutions  in  our  State,  is  so  impor- 
tant for  its  future  usefulness  and  permanency, 

198 


that  we  cannot  be  too  thankful  to  God  or  the 
good  woman  who  today  blesses  us  by  her  gen- 
erosity in  our  work  for  needy  humanity.  We 
will  never  in  the  coming  years  be  obliged  to  con- 
sider the  closing  of  Whitney  Home  because  of 
lack  of  funds  for  the  support  of  the  boys,  for 
whom,  we  as  an  Association  have  become  re- 
sponsible. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  accept  this  gift,  also, 
because  of  what  it  means  to  the  boys  who  are  to 
be  blessed  by  it.  As  I  think  of  the  magnificent 
history  of  some  of  the  boys  who  have  gone  out 
from  Good  Will,  and  who  today  are  filling  places 
of  usefulness  and  prominence  in  the  world's 
work,  and  think  of  what  some  of  these  boys 
nii^lit  have  been  but  for  Good  Will,  I  can  but  re- 
joice that  through  the  providence  of  God  there 
comes  to  needy  ones  that  which  will  not  only 
save  them  from  falling,  but  that  which  will  make 
them  helpers  in  the  uplifting  of  humanity. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  accept  this  gift  be- 
cause of  what  it  means  to  the  Supervisor  and 
those  immediately  connected  with  him.  They 
are  the  ones  who  must  say  'No'  to  broken- 
hearted mothers  and  to  needy  and  imperilled 
boys  who  apply  for  help  but  who  must  be  turned 

199 


away  for  lack  of  room  and  funds.  To  make  it 
possible  for  them  to  say  'Yes'  instead  of  'No'  is 
to  give  them  happiness  and  help  them  carry  a 
burden  already  too  heavy. 

"It  gives  me  pleasure  to  accept  this  gift  also, 
because  of  what  this  day  must  mean  to  the  heart 
of  Jesus  Christ.  If  he  was  interested  in  one 
class  more  than  another  it  must  have  been  the 
children.  I  can  but  feel  as  we  meet  here  today 
that  we  have  His  smile  of  approval  and  His 
words  of  commendation,  saying  'Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  unto  the  least  of  these  little  ones  ye  did  it 
unto  me.' 

"And  lastly,  it  gives  me  pleasure  to  accept  this 
gift,  because  it  brings  to  us  renewed  assurance 
that  the  work  we  are  doing  is  God-given,  God- 
owned,  and  God-blessed." 

Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  I.  B.  Mower,  D. 
D..  of  Waterville. 

The  Good  Will  girls  sang  "Not  a  Sparrow 
Falleth." 

Prof.  Alfred  William  Anthony  of  Bates  Col- 
lege was  then  introduced  and  gave  the  dedi- 
catory address.  Space  does  not  allow  the  re- 
production of  the  address  in  full,  but  among 
other  things  Prof.  Anthony  said : 

200 


"We  do  well  to  say  to  ourselves  today  that  a 
building  like  this,  a  part  of  an  organization  dedi- 
cated to  the  service  of  boys  and  girls,  is  a  bene- 
faction  which   will  always  be    needed.     I    am 
aware  that  in  a  recent  conference,  distinguished 
by  reason  of  the  men  assembled,  and  notable  also 
for  its  conclusions,  held  on  invitaion  of  our  hon- 
ored President  in  the  White  House,  institutions 
for  children,    institutions    as    such,    were    dis- 
credited, and  the  home  together  with  a  "placing- 
out"  system  was  exalted  as  the  only  suitable  cus- 
todian for  children ;  and  the  experiences  of  sev- 
eral states,  notably  of  Massachusetts,  were  called 
in  evidence  as  a  vindication  of  the  abolishment  of 
institutions  and  for  reliance  wholly  upon  the  as- 
sistance of  private  homes  for  the  care  of  unfor- 
tunate children,  some  experts  going  so  far  as  to 
say  that  all  that  was  needed  was  an  office  and  an 
office  force  to  take  unfortunate  children  and  then 
find  for  them  places  of  refuge  in  suitable  homes. 
"We  may  well  recognize  the  reasons    which 
underlie  such  conclusions.     Institutions  have  be- 
come so  largely  institutionalized  as  to  merit  dis- 
credit.    When  children  are  dressed  alike,  made 
to  march  in  procession,  given  the  same    tasks, 
subjected  to  the    same    routine,    and    are    run 

201 


through  a  mill  which  turns  out  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible the  same  product,  then  we  may  discredit 
and  undertake  to  abolish  the  whole  institution  as 
a  violation  of  child-nature.  A  boy  must  always 
be  Tom,  or  Harold,  or  Ben,  and  never  a  num- 
ber, or  part  of  a  system. 

"The  Good  Will  Homes  have  none  of  the 
traits  of  an  institution  in  this  sense.  They  are 
homes.  They  perpetuate,  as  nearly  as  possible, 
the  character  and  the  influences  of  the  best  home. 
They  individualize.  The  boys  before  me  are  not 
dressed  alike,  do  not  sit  alike,  do  not  behave 
alike ;  and  my  attention  has  been  called  to  the 
fact  that  their  singing  is  unlike  the  singing 
heard  even  in  our  public  schools.  The  individual 
tone  rings  out  in  the  volume  of  sound. 

"It  is  a  sad  misfortune  when  the  home,  into 
which  a  child  has  been  born,  is  for  any  cause 
disabled,  or  disrupted,  whether  by  death,  sick- 
ness, or  disaster,  and  the  child  must  go  forth  into 
the  world.  Between  the  child  thus  thrust  out 
and  the  homes  into  which  it  might  come,  there 
must  stand  some  kind  of  an  institution,  main- 
tained by  the  state  or  by  private  charity,  to  meet 
at  least  two  exigencies : 

"(i)     The  situation  of  disease  or  mental  or 

202 


moral  disorder,  for  there  are  children  who  are 
not  fit  to  be  taken  into  the  private  home  until  they 
have  been  physically  cleansed  and  healed,  and  in- 
tellectually and  morally  started  upon  some  bet- 
ter highway  than  that  which  they  have  been  ac- 
customed to  tread. 

"And  (2)  children  who  have  lost  opportunity 
and  missed  ambitions  and  failed  to  gather  ideals 
which  are  in  harmony  with  human  welfare — 
these  need  a  pause,  longer  or  shorter,  between 
the  broken  home  of  the  past  and  some  better 
home  for  the  future,  wherein  they  may  gather 
impulse  and  incentive  for  a  new  and  nobler  life. 

"Good  Will  furnishes  this  interval  for  the 
gracious  influences  of  personal  interest  and 
Christian  ideals.  In  these  many  household 
groups  is  a  reconstructing  and  highly  conse- 
crated department  of  motherhood ;  and  in  all  the 
influences  pervading  these  grounds,  and  these 
several  buildings,  is  the  genius  of  Christian 
fatherhood.  Individuality  is  here  fully  pre- 
served and  nurtured  in  the  environment  of  home- 
ideals. 

"I  was  gratified  on  inspecting  Whitney  Home 
just  now  to  find  it  a  building  of  such  taste  and 
quiet  eleganece.  It  is  not  extravagant.  It  is 

203 


not  what  would  be  termed  luxurious.  It  is  good. 
It  is  what  some  people  would  call  'nice/  The 
building  might  have  been  erected  for  much  less 
money;  but  I  justify  every  dollar  of  expenditure. 
Had  space  been  cut  out,  then  there  would  not 
have  been  as  much  air  for  the  lungs,  nor  as 
much  freedom  for  the  hands  and  feet,  nor  quite 
that  sense  of  comfort  and  convenience  which  the 
mind  craves ;  and  every  indication  of  beauty  and 
proportion  is  a  vindication  of  taste  and  artistic 
skill.  Our  Master  justified  the  expenditure  of 
vast  sums  as  a  mere  expression  of  sentiment, 
when  a  woman  sacrificed,  in  a  moment  of  time,  a 
costly  box  of  ointment  which  represented  the 
hard  toil  of  three  hundred  days  of  some  man's 
labor,  really  a  full  year  of  saving — He  com- 
mended the  sacrifice  and  said  of  her  that  she  had 
'done  what  she  could/  and  that  her  gift  should 
be  spoken  of  as  a  memorial  wherever  His  Gospel 
was  preached.  There  is  nothing  in  this  world 
more  valuable  than  sentiment,  aesthetic  and  emo- 
tional. 

"If  the  cost  of  this  new  building  were  invested 
to  yield  savings  bank  interest,  then  the  rental  for 
each  boy  would  represent  less  than  fifty  cents  a 
week,  scarcely  twenty-five  dollars  a  year.  That 

204 


is  not  a  large  sum  to  invest  in  an  individual's 
house  and  physical  surroundings ;  while  the 
whole  amount  with  which  this  building  i 
(lowed  represents  an  annual  expenditure  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  building,  and  the  maintenance 
of  its  inmates,  of  only  about  two  hundred  dol- 
lars a  year  per  boy.  This  surely  is  a  very  mod- 
erate sum,  and  no  one  reasonably  could  criticize 
the  expenditure  of  this  amount  for  such  pur- 
poses. 

"We  may  all  take  great  satisfaction  today  in 
realizing  that  the  building  which  we  dedicate  and 
set  apart  for  special  uses,  is  destined,  so  far  as  we 
can  foretell,  to  stand  forever,  and  to  serve  the 
welfare  of  Good  Will  Homes  perpetually.  The 
donor  has  provided  in  her  gift  that  the  building 
shall  be  repaired  year  by  year,  and  parts  re- 
placed, as  they  may,  through  the  lapse  of  time 
by  wear  or  breakage,  give  way;  and  so  the 
building  can  be  kept  perpetually  new.  The 
donor  has  also  provided  that  boys  may  come  and 
boys  may  go,  generation  follow  generation,  and 
yet  a  family  be  supported  within  these  sheltering 
walls.  It  is  not,  therefore,  a  gift  for  one  group 
of  boys;  but  a  procession  of  boys,  family  by 
family,  reaching  on  through  future  years,  far- 

205 


ther  than  human  sight  can  now  penetrate.  It  is 
perpetual  benefaction. 

"We  can  be  sure  that  there  will  be  need  of 
such  a  benefaction;  for  we  know  there  will  al- 
ways be  boys  as  long  as  the  human  race  endures  ; 
and  we  know  there  there  will  aways  be  boyc 
needing  such  help  as  this,  as  long  as  the  human 
race  endures,  for  because  of  death  and  mis- 
fortune— 'tis  pity  we  must  say  it — the  natural 
home  will  be  disrupted,  and  this  fostor  home  be 
required ;  and  we  know  that  the  principle  of  in- 
dividualizing boys  as  they  come  to  this  foster 
home  will  be  permanent,  because  it  has  been 
wrought  into  the  very  foundation  of  these  build- 
ings, and  through  every  principle  and  ideal  and 
act  of  Good  Will;  and  we  can  be  assured  also 
that  in  the  good  providence  of  God,  men,  who 
follow  men,  will  be  inspired  with  the  ideals 
which  are  close  to  the  Divine  purposes,  and  fulfil 
the  Divine  plan  for  childhood,  and  manhood. 
We  can  trust  then  the  future  and  commit  this 
enterprise  to  Him  who  rules  the  future  as  he  has 
the  past. 

"We  are  standing  today  in  touch  with  possi- 
bilities which  God  only  knows.  The  past  in 
good  measure  has  focused  from  many  directions 

206 


GRANGE   COTTAGE 


THE  EMILY   F.   RYERSON    BUILDING 


gracioofl  influences  upon  this  pi  ft:  and  in  the 
future,  from  this  gift,  will  radiate  in  many  di- 
rections yet  other  gracious  influences  to  bless  the 
world. 

'  \\\   will  look  to  Him  unto  whom  all  that  is 

incorporated  in  the  Good  Will  Homes  has  been 

committed,  unto  whom    he  Supervisor,    officers, 

•ml  friends  have  committed  their  ways, 

unto  Him  who  will  also  'bring  to  pass.' ' 

After  Prof.  Anthony's  address  the  audience 
was  asked  to  join  with  the  schools  in  singing  one 
of  their  loved  Good  Will  songs  for  the  closing 
of  the  exercise. 

The  question  asked  in  the  Good  Will  Record, 
October  1906,  ''Shall  the  debt  be  wiped  out  by 
December  31,  1906?"  was  answered  in  the  nega- 
tive or  rather,  nothing  was  said  about  it  on  that 
date.  But  my  annual  report  to  the  Trustees  and 
Directors,  in  July,  1908,  opened  as  follows : 

"Our  year  1907-08  closing  May  2Oth  was  full 
of  interest  and  in  many  respects  was  a  notable 
one  in  the  history  of  Good  Will.  A  debt  of 
nearly  thirty  thousand  dollars  was  paid,  a  li- 
brary building  was  dedicated ;  an  endowed  home 
for  boys  was  offered  and  the  acceptance  of  it 
awaits  your  vote  of  approval ;  farm  life,  home 

207 


life  and  school  life  were  happy  and  prosperous. 
A  helping  hand  was  extended  for  the  whole  or  a 
part  of  the  year  to  two  hundred  and  thirty- 
four  of  which  one  hundred  and  ninety-four  were 
boys  and  forty  were  girls." 

One  very  large  contribution  was  made  toward 
the  liquidation  of  the  debt  and  a  few  others 
nearly  as  generous  placed  the  Good  Will  Home 
Association  even  with  the  world  once  more. 

Another  important  problem  was  solved,  for  a 
few  years  to  come  at  least,  when  $2,500  was  of- 
fered toward  the  expense  of  an  adequate  water 
supply  and  sewerage  system.  The  water  sup- 
ply over  which  we  had  once  been  so  happy  had 
proved  insufficient  as  the  demands  upon  it  in- 
creased and  we  had  never  been  able  to  put  in 
any  sewerage  system  at  all.  Other  generous 
friends  came  to  our  aid  until  an  equal  amount 
for  the  same  purpose  had  been  provided;  then 
the  contracts  were  made  and  the  system  was  com- 
pleted at  the  close  of  it>o8.  The  largest  con- 
tribution towards  the  raising  of  the  debt  and 
the  largest  contribution  toward  the  new  water 
supply  and  the  sewerage  system  were  by  the 
same  sympathetic  and  helpful  friend — one  of 


208 


God's  almoners  who  prefers  that  her  name  shall 
not  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  her  bene- 
factions. 

The  same  forces  which  have  been  in  operation 
in  years  past  are  still  at  work.  The  principles 
upon  which  Good  Will  rests  are  unchanged. 
There  are  many  things  which  are  to  be  wit- 
nessed in  the  future.  They  are  sure  to  be 
brought  "to  pass."  I  confidently  expect  that  a 
gymnasium,  a  natural  history  or  natural  science 
building,  an  administration  building,  endowed 
homes  and  dormitories,  are  in  the  future.  But 
I  "confidently  expect"  only  as  I  have  in  the 
past,  that  is,  without  knowing  from  whence,  how 
or  by  whom. 

The  Good  Will  plant  is  already  large  enough 
to  call  for  a  very  generous  endowment,  also,  and 
I  know  of  no  reason  why  such  an  endowment 
should  not  be  forthcoming  from  men  and 
women  who  have  the  welfare  of  humanity  at 
heart. 


209 


THE  CALISTA  MAYHEW  LECTURESHIP. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  C.  S.  Mayhew, 
the  Good  Will  Home  Association  has  a  lecture- 
ship fund  which  makes  it  possible  for  the  schools 
at  Good  Will  to  listen  to  several  good  lectures 
each  year.  Mrs.  Mayhew  has  given  the  Associa- 
tion five  thousand  dollars,  the  interest  of  which 
is  to  be  used  each  year  in  providing  lectures  on 
such  subjects  as  seem  most  desirable.  It  is  to  be 
known  as  the  "Calista  Mayhew  Lectureship." 
The  real  value  of  this  gift  can  hardly  be  esti- 
mated ;  its  influence  will  be  far-reaching  and 
perennial.  Mrs.  Mayhew  is  one  of  Good  Will's 
strong  helpers ;  the  green-house  and  the  Mayhew 
Scholarship  of  three  thousand  dollars  are  among 
her  benefactions. 


210 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  why  a  site  in 
Somerset  county,  Maine,  should  have  been 
selected  for  the  Good  Will  Homes  and  Schools. 
I  am  not  sure  that  there  were  any  definite  theories 
influencing  the  selection  except  that  the  proposed 
work  should  be  in  the  country.  Having  spent 
my  early  life  in  Southern  New  England — Con- 
necticut and  Rhode  Island — I  had  no  convictions 
about  the  Pine  Tree  State  as  a  place  for  philan- 
thropic effort;  I  did  not  even  have  opinions. 
The  thought  of  locating  the  Homes  in  Maine  had 
not  occurred  to  me.  It  was  not  theories,  there- 
fore, which  resulted  in  the  present  situation  of 
Good  Will  Farm,  but  a  steadfast  purpose  to 
follow,  if  I  could,  the  leadings  of  Divine  Provi- 
dence. Theoretically  Maine  was  not  the  best 
place  for  it.  Had  a  man  living  in  Connecticut, 
as  I  was,  announced  his  intention  of  going  to 
Maine  to  establish  a  benevolent  and  educational 
work  which  was  to  extend  a  helping  hand  to  boys 
in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  in  turn  to  appeal 
to  every  part  of  the  country  for  sympathy  and 

211 


aid,  no  one  would  have  experienced  any  difficulty 
in  producing  arguments  against  it.  I  could  have 
produced  arguments  myself.  For  instance,  it 
might  have  been  said,  the  climate  of  Maine  is 
severe ;  it  is  the  home  of  pulmonary  troubles ;  it 
is  remote  from  the  large  centers — Boston  and 
New  York ;  the  State  is  but  sparsely  populated ; 
there  are  but  few  if  any  great  fortunes  there ;  a 
stranger  in  the  State  will  need  a  long  time  to 
gain  a  foothold  and  the  confidence  of  benevolent 
people;  it  is  the  last  place  in  the  United  States 
east  of  the  Mississippi  for  such  a  work.  But  I 
had  surrendered  to  God,  after  a  long  struggle, 
in  which  I  had  been  obliged  to  cry,  "Thou  art 
stronger  than  I,"  and  it  did  not  matter  where  I 
went  so  long  as  I  could  know  I  was  following 
Providential  leadership.  I  had  taken  Psalm 
37 :  5,  and  must  abide  by  it.  I  had  resigned  a 
pastorate  in  which  I  had  been  peculiarly  happy, 
without  knowing  what  I  would  do  next.  So  far 
as  could  ever  be  learned  I  was  writing  my  resig- 
nation— not  having  mentioned  my  purpose  to  do 
so  to  any  one, — at  the  same  time  that  the  clerk 
of  another  church  was  writing  me,  in  its  behalf, 
an  invitation  to  become  its  pastor.  This  inci- 
dent gave  me  courage,  strengthening  my  belief 

212 


JUDGE  NATHANIEL  HOBBS. 


that  the  change  I  was  making  would  result  in  a 
long  step  toward  the  boys'  work.  On  the  new 
field  I  had  for  a  ministerial  brother  a  man  who 
had  worked  in  Maine  under  direction  of  the 
American  Sunday-school  Union.  He  was  one 
of  three  men  to  recommend  me  to  the  same 
union,  for  the  work  of  Sunday-school  organiza- 
tion in  Maine.  I  regarded  this  as  the  outcome 
of  the  step  I  had  taken,  and  as  I  went  to  Maine 
I  held  the  opinion  that  in  that  great  State  the 
Homes  would  be  founded.  The  opinion  deep- 
ened into  a  conviction.  I  had  held  the  opinion ; 
the  conviction  held  me.  Subsequent  events  and 
experiences  show  how  groundless  were  the  argu- 
ments which  might  have  been  advanced  against 
that  State  as  the  home  of  a  far  reaching  benevo- 
lent work. 

ist.  The  climate.  It  is  true  that  the  winters 
are  severe  in  Somerset  county.  The  summers 
are  beautiful.  It  is  also  true  that  the  average 
healthy  boy  has  no  quarrel  with  frosty  weather. 
In  winter  the  air  is  cold  at  Good  Will,  but  it  is 
dry,  crisp  and  pure.  I  do  not  believe  a  better 
winter  for  boys  can  be  found  anywhere  than  in 
Somerset  Co.,  Maine. 

2nd.     The  fear  of  pulmonary  troubles — had  it 

213 


been  allowed  an  influence  in  choice  of  site — 
would  have  been  equally  ill-advised.  Maine  has 
had  an  unenviable  reputation  as  regards  lung  and 
throat  diseases.  It  is  only  within  a  few  years 
that  it  has  been  discovered  that  Aroostook  county 
is  one  of  the  most  favorable  locations  in  New 
England  for  the  treatment  of  consumption. 
Somerset  county  is  far  enough  removed  from  the 
coast,  and  near  enough  to  the  unbroken  forest 
region  to  afford  a  salubrious  climate.  Boys  who 
have  come  to  us  with  consumptive  tendencies, 
have  invariably  outgrown  such  tendencies ;  while 
catarrhal  troubles  among  Good  Will  boys  are 
rare. 

3rd.  Maine  was  at  one  time  in  her  history, 
far  removed  from  the  large  centers,  like  New 
York  and  Boston ;  but  that  was  in  the  days  of 
the  stage  coach  and  sailing  vessels,  before  the 
advent  of  express  trains,  fast  mails,  telephones 
and  telegraphs. 

4th.  Maine  is  not  the  home  of  large  fortunes 
as  fortunes  are  estimated  in  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury ;  but  her  citizens  are  large  hearted  and  gen- 
erous, and  from  the  beginning  have  cherished 
the  interests  of  Good  Will,  and  been  ready 
helpers  in  developing  and  supporting  the  work. 

214 


In  proportion  to  the  number  of  Maine  boys  aided, 
the  people  of  the  State  have  up  to  the  present 
time  done  their  share  grandly. 

5th.  The  obstacles  to  be  overcome  by  a  young 
man  undertaking  such  a  work  in  a  State  where  he 
was  an  entire  stranger  were  great  enough  it  is 
true;  but  they  did  not  prove  insurmountable  or 
as  formidable,  as  one  would  expect. 

6th.  Instead  of  being  the  last  place  in  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi  river  for 
such  a  work,  after  ten  years  of  testing,  I  am 
convinced  that  it  is  the  best.  I  have  no  quarrel 
with  the  kind  Providence  which  led  to  the  banks 
of  the  Kcnnebec  river — into  a  county  of  the  Pine 
Tree  State — highly  favored  in  its  climatic  con- 
ditions, its  freedom  from  malaria,  catarrh,  and 
pulmonary  troubles;  a  site  fortunate  in  its 
wholesome  surroundings,  pure  water,  and  sani- 
tary conditions. 


215 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

In  January,  1888,  I  published  the  first  issue  of 
"The  Boy's  Fund,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  boys 
in  need  of  a  helping  hand."  The  size  was  6 
inches  x  8^2  inches.  Four  hundred  and  fifty 
copies  were  printed.  The  paper  stated  briefly 
the  plan  for  a  home  for  boys,  to  be  located  in  the 
country,  and  was  mailed  February  I.  The  sub- 
scription price  was,  twenty-five  cents  per  annum. 
In  June  of  that  year  the  paper  was  admitted  to 
the  mails  in  Bangor,  Me.,  as  second  class  matter. 

In  May,  1889,  the  land  which  was  to  be  the 
foundation  for  the  Home  for  boys  was  pur- 
chased, and  named  Good- Will  Farm.  In  August 
the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed  to  Good- Will 
Record,  and  the  number  of  pages  doubled.  It 
was  then  printed  in  Fairfield;  entered  at  East 
Fairfield.  In  February,  1890,  its  form  was 
changed  to  9  inches  x  1 1  ^2  inches,  three  columns 
to  a  page,  and  eight  pages.  In  December  it  was 
increased  to  twelve  pages,  and  the  price  raised 
to  fifty  cents  a  year.  In  May,  1892,  it  was 
decided  to  make  its  permanent  form  7  inches  x 

216 


io  inches,  sixteen  two-column  pages,  with  addi- 
tional pages  from  time  to  time,  as  needed,  and 
the  printing  was  transferred  to  Augusta,  Maine. 

I  had  previously  devoted  most  of  my  time  to 
religious  work;  had  been  pastor,  Sunday-school 
missionary,  and  evangelist,  and  had  drawn  a 
comfortable  salary.  But  I  was  convinced  that  I 
must  either  give  up  my  salaried  position,  and 
devote  my  time  and  strength  to  the  growing  work 
at  Good-Will,  or  I  must  see  the  undertaking  lan- 
guish from  lack  of  attention. 

I  decided  to  give  up  my  former  position  and 
become  supervisor  of  the  work.  I  also  decided 
to  accept  no  salary  from  the  benevolent  funds 
of  the  Homes. 

It  was  a  simple  matter  to  adopt  the  following 
course, viz:  All  benevolent  contributions  received 
by  the  Good  Will  Homes  to  be  devoted  to 
their  growth  and  support.  Of  such  receipts,  not 
a  cent  has  ever  been  otherwise  used.  Receipts 
for  annual  subscriptions  to  the  Good  Will  Record 
to  be  regarded  as  a  commercial  transaction,  and 
such  receipts  used  by  myself  in  lieu  of  any  salary 
for  the  support  of  myself  and  family.  That  at 
times  this  was  meagre  may  be  readily  understood 
when  it  is  stated  that  the  first  year  the  total  sub- 
scriptions to  the  Record  amounted  to  $430.00. 
This  has  measurably  increased  since. 

217 


CHAPTER  XX. 

The  words,  "Good  Will,"  as  applied  to  the 
farms  and  homes  and  schools  at  Hinckley, 
Me.,  were  taken  from  the  second  chapter  of  the 
Gospel  of  Luke — the  song  of  the  herald  angels. 
But  "Good  Will,"  as  the  words  are  now  used  to 
designate  the  work  in  progress  at  Hinckley, 
has  another  and  a  special  meaning.  They  stand 
for  the  work  of  the  Good  Will  Home  Associa- 
tion, and  we  want  to  explain  just  what  Good 
Will  means  when  used  in  that  way. 

Good  Will  stands  for  home  life.  This  is  an 
age  of  investigation ;  of  experiments ;  of  prog- 
ress. In  his  address  at  the  Pan  American,  the 
day  before  he  fell  before  the  assassin's  assault — 
President  McKinley  said :  "Expositions  are  the 
time  keepers  of  progress."  There  was  a  time 
when  an  Exposition  once  in  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury was  often  enough;  but  they  come  oftener 
now,  for  progress  is  more  rapid,  and  before  one 
is  over,  plans  are  laid  for  its  successor.  But  in 
it  all,  human  nature  remains  the  same.  In  the 
beginning  God  instituted  for  humanity.  One  of 

218 


the  first  institutions  was  home.  No  true  or  safe 
substitute  for  the  home  has  ever  been  discovered. 
Such  a  discovery  is  not  in  the  power  of  man.  The 
nearer  we  keep  to  the  family  and  the  home,  in  our 
benevolent  work,  the  nearer  we  are  to  the  divinely 
instituted.  In  the  cottage  system  of  Good  \Yill 
— fifteen  in  a  family — we  come  as  near  as  we  can 
to  the  family  life. 

Good  Will  stands  for  industry. 

It  is  understood  that  every  boy  and  girl  at 
Good  Will  shall  have  some  duty  to  perform.  For 
the  younger  ones  it  may  be  exceedingly  light 
work ;  but  something  must  be  done  by  each  one 
as  a  contribution  to  the  activities  and  the  general 
welfare  of  the  community.  Over  the  main 
entrance  to  the  first  Chas.  E.  Moody  Building 
were  two  words,  used  primarily  to  characterize 
the  man  whose  life  is  perpetuated  in  the  building, 
but  selected  also  as  the  key  note  to  the  teachings 
within  it.  The  words  were  "Honesty"  and  "In- 
dustry." The  dignity  of  labor  is  taught  by  pre- 
cept and  example.  The  boys  are  frequently 
reminded  that  the  same  Divine  command  which 
says,  "On  the  seventh  day  thou  shalt  do  no 
work,"  also  says,  "Six  days  shalt  thou  labor." 
It  is  true  that  "all  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack 

219 


a  dull  boy."  It  is  equally  true  that  all  play  and 
no  work  is  the  basis  for  a  worthless,  meaningless 
life.  The  Good  Will  boy  will  have  to  work  when 
he  leaves  his  present  home;  he  must  acquire 
habits  of  industry  in  his  youth. 

Good  Will  stands  for  wholesome  discipline. 
This  sounds  a  trifle  old-fashioned,  but  obedience 
is  at  the  foundation  of  all  government.  Without 
obedience  there  can  be  no  nobility  of  character. 
The  Good  Will  boy  comes  under  few  laws,  but 
those  laws  are  to  be  obeyed.  We  do  not  say  that 
the  average  boy  likes  to  be  governed ;  but  we  do 
say,  without  fearing  contradiction  from  the  boy 
or  his  elders,  that  he  expects  to  be  governed.  He 
has  little  respect  for  the  teacher  or  parent  who 
cannot  control  or  govern  him.  Good  Will 
stands  for  a  discipline  that  is  gentle,  reasonable 
and  firm. 

Good  Will  stands  for  the  religious  training  of 
youth.  For  such  training  there  can  be  no  wise 
substitute.  Much  work  for  children,  especially 
for  boys,  is  carried  on  in  these  days,  without  any 
reference  to  the  religious  nature.  Man  is  a 
religious  being.  "The  boy  is  father  of  the  man." 
There  is  a  religious  elemen:  in  boy  nature  so 
strong  that  it  is  not  safe  to  ignore  it.  A  religion 

220 


void  of  cant,  void  of  hypocrisy,  void  of  priggish- 
ness  is  the  aim  at  Good  Will.  The  religious  life 
is  strong  and  healthy.  The  type  is  practical. 
The  chapel  is  the  place  for  formal  worship,  but 
the  conduct  of  the  majority  of  the  boys,  on  the 
farm,  in  the  school,  everywhere,  is  determined  by 
religious  principle.  The  details  of  Good  Will's 
industry,  family  life,  discipline  and  religious 
activity  need  not  be  explained  here. 


221 


CHAPTER    XXI. 


There  are  three  things  to  which  I  wish  to  call 
the  attention  of  all  friends  of  Good  Will  at  this 
time.  I  am  conscious  that  when  I  address  "all 
the  friends  of  Good  Will"  I  reach  a  larger  num- 
ber of  persons  than  ever  before ;  for  the  circle  of 
her  friends  and  sympathizers  is  constantly  grow- 
ing. But  these  friends  should  know  the  situa- 
tion. I  submit  the  following  three  things  for 
careful  consideration. 

i.  Good  Will's  need  of  financial  support  from 
day  to  day.  Wre  have  not  reached  our  ideal. 
There  are  many  things  which  we  cannot  do  as 
we  would  like  to  do  them ;  and  many  things  we 
ought  to  do  which  cannot  be  done  at  all  for  lack 
of  funds.  So  we  do  the  best  we  can,  and  hope 
for  the  day  when  we  can  do  better.  Our  first 
duty,  our  high  privilege,  as  friends  of  Good  Will 
is  to  keep  the  Treasurer  supplied  with  funds  for 
current  expenses.  The  work  needs  the  same 
kind  of  contributions  which  have  been  necessary 
in  the  past,  but  more  of  them,  because  more  work 
and  better  work  for  humanity  is  being  none. 

222 


The  first  thing,  then,  is  the  generous  contribu- 
tions to  the  current  expenses  of  the  Homes  and 
Schools. 

2.  Good  Will's  need  of  an  endowment  fund. 
This  fund  is  already  commenced.     According  to 
the  Treasurer's  report  published  in  the  Good  Will 
Record,  the  endowment  fund,  June  2Oth,  1900, 
amounted    to    $18,000;    June    2Oth,     1901,     it 
amounted  to  $36,000.     In  other  words  the  fund 
was  doubled  in  twelve  months ;  but  it  is  still  very 
small.     Is  it  too  much  to  ask  that  the  fund  as  it 
now  stands   ($200,000)   be  greatly  increased  at 
this  stage  of  development.     We  do  not  expect 
this  will    be  done    by  small    gifts — $10.00  and 
$5.00  at  a  time — but  some  of  God's  almoners  in 
these  days  are  intrusted  with  wealth,  and  we 
believe   this   need   of   Good   Will   must   appeal 
strongly  to  them.     This  is  an  age  of  great  things, 
and  we  are  in  an  era  of  great  prosperity  as  a 
nation.     Shall  not  Good  Will  be  helped  in  pro- 
portion,   and    equipped    financially    for    great 
things.     The  second  thing,  then,  is  the  increase 
of  Good  Will's  Endowment  Fund. 

3.  With    increased    financial    support,    and 
enlarged  endowment  there  may  be,  and  ought  to 
be    immediate    extension    of    usefulness.     The 

223 


foundations  at  Good  Will  are  broad.  We  have 
come  now  to  the  very  threshold  of  large  things. 
The  fact  that  we  are  compelled  to  turn  away 
several  hundred  needy  and  deserving  applicants 
each  year  does  not  mean  that  new  institutions 
are  needed ;  it  does  mean  that  institutions  already 
existing,  whose  usefulness  has  been  tested  and 
whose  foundations  already  laid  are  broad  and 
deep,  should  be  strengthened.  The  broad  acres 
at  Good  Will  invite  more  boys ;  the  large  school 
building,  chapel,  and  manual  training  building 
invite  a  multitude.  The  restricted  accommo- 
dations in  the  cottages  and  the  limited  finances 
of  the  Good  Will  Home  Association  say  "No" 
to  many  who  can  be  and  ought  to  be  saved. 
Those  who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  Good  Will  believe  that  God  has  signally 
honored  the  work,  and  are  confident  that  it 
affords  opportunity  for  the  investment  of  large 
sums  for  humanity.  A  large  work  in  the 
future  is  planned ;  large  sums  to  be  invested  in 
boys  and  girls  in  need  of  a  helping  hand,  are 
greatly  needed  at  Good  Will  Farm. 


224 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

WHAT    BOYS    ARE    RECEIVED. 

A  boy  to  be  received  at  Good  Will  must  be 
between  the  ages  of  nine  and  fifteen.  He  must 
be  sound  in  body;  the  plan  is  industrial.  He 
must  be  of  average  intelligence ;  the  plan  is  edu- 
cational. He  must  be  of  fair  morals;  the  plan 
is  preventive.  He  must  be  in  need  of  a  helping 
hand ;  the  plan  is  benevolent. 

HOW     TO    PROCEED. 

The  best  method  of  applying  for  admission  for 
a  boy  is  to  write  to  the  Supervisor  of  the  Good 
Will  Home  Association,  Hinckley,  Maine,  giving 
a  description  of  the  boy  and  his  circumstances, 
enclosing  a  stamp,  for  reply.  The  letter  will 
be  answered.  If  there  is  a  probability  that  the 
boy  can  be  received,  an  application  blank  will  be 
forwarded  asking  for  information  in  compact 
and  systemized  form.  The  party  making  appli- 
cation will  be  duly  notified  of  the  decision.  Cor- 

225 


respondence,  thereafter,  regarding  the  boy  will 
be  carried  on  only  with  the  person  offering  the 
boy. 

THE    TERMS    OF    ADMISSION. 

Many  boys  are  received  at  Good  Will  Farm 
who  are  not  only  penniless,  but  who  have  no 
relative  able  to  aid  in  any  way.  Such  boys  are 
cared  for  by  benevolent  funds.  Sometimes  a  boy 
who  ought  to  be  received  at  Good  Will  has  a 
relative  able  to  pay  something  toward  his  sup- 
port. In  such  cases  we  require  the  payment. 

AN    EXCELLENT    WAY. 

It  is  a  great  help  in  the  work  for  us  to  know 
of  persons  who  are  willing  to  assume  the  expense 
of  a  boy  at  Good  Will  by  the  year,  the  annual 
requirement  being  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
This  amount  covers  food,  lodgings,  clothing, 
tuition  and  religious  privileges.  Persons  willing 
to  do  this  should  notify  the  supervisor  of  the 
Good  Will  Home  Association. 

Practically  the  same  rules  govern  admission 
to  the  girls'  cottages  and  school. 


226 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Very  early  in  my  desire  to  be  of  service  to  boys 
I  discovered  the  worth  of  outings  of  various 
kinds.  In  my  first  pastorate  in  the  years  '81  and 
'82,  I  had  arranged  for  my  journeys  into  the 
country  to  be  accompanied  by  members  of  my 
Sunday-school.  One  of  my  pastorates  was  at 
West  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  boys  from  the  Sun- 
day-school accompanied  me  on  a  trip  to  Rhode 
Island,  where  we  spent  a  week  or  ten  days  in  the 
vicinity  of  Point  Judith.  While  engaged  in  mis- 
sionary and  evangelistic  work  in  Maine  later  on, 
I  arranged  for  several  other  outings  of  a  similar 
character  for  boys.  I  made  an  effort  to  have  a 
strong  religious  influence  in  each  of  these  little 
camps,  and  endeavored  to  so  conduct  affairs  that 
the  outing  should  prove  to  be  beneficial  not  only 
physically,  but  morally  and  spiritually  as  well. 

The  first  cottage  at  Good  Will  was  opened  in 
1889.  The  following  summer  all  the  boys  at  the 
Farm  accompanied  me  on  an  outing  of  several 
days  at  Bailey's  Island,  in  Messalonskee  lake. 
Each  succeeding  year  a  similar  excursion  was 

227 


planned  for  the  benefit  of  the  Good  Will  boys,  but 
I  had  a  growing  desire  to  do  something  for  an 
outing  for  other  than  Good  Will  boys — an  outing 
which  should  be  both  enjoyable  and  profitable. 
I  was  not  able,  however,  to  make  such  an 
arrangement  until  1893.  I  had  purposed  in  my 
heart  that  I  would  arrange  for  an  encampment  at 
Good  Will  Farm.  As  a  matter  of  fact  in  my 
search  for  the  location  for  the  homes  I  had  been 
influenced  somewhat  by  the  conviction  that  the 
place  would  be  used  not  only  for  the  boys  who 
would  live  in  the  cottages,  but  for  others  also,  in 
some  summer  school  or  assembly.  Hardly  had 
I  decided  to  try  the  experiment  of  a  summer 
assembly  or  boys'  encampment  at  Good  Will 
Farm  in  the  summer  of  '93  when  a  benevolent 
lady  of  New  Hampshire  learned  of  my  plan  and 
offered  to  furnish  a  tent  for  the  purpose.  She 
instructed  me  to  secure  a  tent  which  would  seat 
about  two  hundred.  I  obeyed  her  instructions 
and  in  the  February  number  of  the  Record 
announced  that  the  first  boys'  encampment  at 
Good  Will  would  be  held  in  the  following  July. 
I  did  not  plan  for  a  very  large  attendance.  In 
fact  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  have  cared 
for  large  numbers.  When  the  time  came  for  this 

228 


experiment  the  attendance  of  boys  from  different 
parts  of  the  country  was  all  that  I  could  ask,  and 
the  interest  in  the  program  was  very  gratifying. 
The  assembly  was  held  from  July  I2th  to  igth. 
Tt  opened  with  an  evening  of  prayer  and  testi- 
mony. At  ten  o'clock  each  morning  there  were 
to  be  lectures  and  addresses.  The  afternoon  was 
to  be  given  up  to  rambles,  swimming  and  athletic 
sports.  This  experiment  proved  to  be  so  success- 
ful that  these  assemblies  were  continued  for  sev- 
eral years.  The  plan  of  three  addresses  between 
the  hours  of  10  A.  M.  and  11.30  proved  to  be 
very  crowding.  A  few  years  later  to  the  great 
satisfaction  of  all  in  attendance  the  number  of 
addresses  or  lectures  at  the  morning  session  was 
reduced  to  two.  There  were  so  many  advan- 
tages in  this  arrangement  that  after  a  year  or 
two  of  experiment  the  morning  program  was 
changed  so  as  to  give  still  more  time  for  singing 
and  other  general  exercises,  with  only  one 
address  or  lecture  at  the  morning  session. 

It  was  planned  that  at  each  assembly  there 
should  be  some  well  known  writer  of  books  or 
stories,  who  should  read  from  his  own  writings. 
Among  those  who  appeared  on  the  program  were 
Hezekiah  Butterworth,  James  Otis,  Wm.  Pendle- 

229 


Ion  Chipman,  Kirk  Monroe,  Olive  Thorne  Miller, 
Dallas  Lore  Sharp,  John  Whitson  and  others. 

The  tent  which  had  been  presented  to  us 
proved  to  be  too  small  for  the  audiences  that 
assembled.  At  session  after  session,  although 
the  program  was  arranged  for  boys,  the  boys 
themselves  were  crowded  out  from  under  the  tent 
by  adults.  The  assembly  also  bid  fair,  if  allowed 
to  continue  its  growth,  to  interfere  with  the  life 
at  Good  Will  in  a  variety  of  ways.  I  had  looked 
longingly  across  the  Kennebec  river  to  a  beauti- 
ful tract  of  pines  which  it  seemed  to  me  would 
be  an  admirable  place  for  a  more  extensive  sum- 
mer assembly.  I  used  to  say  sometimes  that  I 
thought  by  the  eye  of  faith  I  could  see  the  roof 
of  a  pavilion  in  the  grove. 

One  winter  morning  in  1896  Mr.  Walter  M. 
Smith  was  about  to  take  the  train  from  the  Good 
Will  station  when  he  looked  across  the  Kennebec 
into  the  pines  and  said  "Has  anything  ever  been 
done  about  that  pine  grove?" 

I  replied  "Oh  no,  nothing  has  ever  been  done 
about  it.  I  can  still  see,  by  the  eye  of  faith,  the 
roof  of  a  pavilion  over  there."  Mr.  Smith  replied 
by  instructing  me  to  ascertain  whether  the  tract 
of  thirty  acres  could  be  purchased  for  a  stated 

230 


sum,  and  asked  me  to  wire  him  at  New  York 
City.  I  called  that  evening  on  the  owner  of  the 
pines  and  made  the  purchase,  notifying  Mr. 
Smith  at  once,  and  in  accordance  with  his  agree- 
ment he  forwarded  a  check  to  cover  the  purchase 
price. 

The  following  summer  the  assembly  was  held 
for  the  last  time  on  Good  Will  Farm.  Mr. 
Hezekiah  Butterworth  was  one  of  the  speakers 
that  summer.  A  party  crossed  the  Kennebec 
into  the  pines  one  noon  and  solemnly  dedicated 
the  entire  tract  for  religious  and  educational 
work.  No  other  meetings  were  held  there  that 
summer.  The  following  year  Mr.  Smith  who 
had  purchased  the  pines  for  the  assembly  pro- 
vided a  larger  tent — one  to  accommodate  about 
six  hundred.  There  were  those  present  when 
the  tent  was  being  put  up  for  the  first  time  who 
did  not  hesitate  to  prophecy  failure,  and  asked 
me  somewhat  sarcastically  if  I  ever  expected  to 
see  the  tent  filled.  My  only  reply  was  that  the 
tent  would  last  several  years.  If  it  was  not  filled 
with  appreciative  audiences  that  year  it  would  be 
sometime.  That  summer  the  tent  proved  to  be 
too  small  to  accommodate  the  audiences  which 
assembled  in  the  pines  on  some  of  the  days,  but 


231 


the  meetings  were  held  there  and  proved  to  be 
both  interesting  and  profitable.  That  year  the 
old  assembly  tent  was  used  for  a  dining  room. 

The  next  year  through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 
Walter  M.  Smith  a  dining  hall  and  kitchen  were 
built.     The  work  was  growing  and  was  destined 
to  grow.     As  Mr.  Smith  attended  the  assemblies 
and  saw  the  importance  of  these  gatherings  of 
young  people  for  ten  days  in  mid-summer,  he 
was  prompted  to  build  an  auditorium  which  will 
seat  about  one  thousand  persons.     Through  the 
kindness  of  Mr.  Smith  and  others  a  fine  athletic 
field  was  laid  out.     Mr.  Wm.  G.  Broadway  of 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  provided  two  excellent  tennis 
courts.     Two   cottages   have  been  built  on  the 
grounds.     The   grounds   are   now   used   by   the 
Good  Will  boys  for  a  summer  camp  through  the 
month  of  August. 


232 


YB  07474 


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